Metallica Fluff - Tumblr Posts

You Make Loving Fun ✍︎ Cliff Burton

for @metallicaislife ♡ for whom (the bell tolls) i love endlessly

Worn out cotton tickles the tip of your nose as you twist your body to hug the pillow beneath you, the furrow between your eyebrows concaving into a deep and temporary divot as you blindly shove your face into the pillowcase and groan out a halfhearted protest. The sun beams down on and in through the aged and crooked blinds, and you grimace as you feel the slight tinge of sweat culminate on the skin of your left arm and shoulder blade.

You exhale out a sigh of relief as you untangle a limb and use it to toss the embroidered and heavy blanket off of your upper half, and a smile twitches itself onto your yawning lips, as the faint and barely-there scent of your boyfriend's herbs and stale cigarette smoke wafts and dances its way up to you from the movement of the fabric.

You sluggishly sit up and immediately make eye contact with the most recent picture that was taken of Cliff and sent your way, via mail, and a deep sense of yearning and excited anxiety fills you to the brim as you take in the sight. In the photo you kept in safe keeping, your boyfriend can be seen grinning down at a letter you wrote only a few days prior, the delicate skin around his eyes stretching and wrinkling with glee as he takes in your adoration-filled words. Your fingers grip onto the fabric of his shirt surrounding you as you embrace the flutter that creates dormancy in your chest. You blink back the sting that starts behind your eyelids as you think of your partner, before turning your attention elsewhere, suddenly needing a distraction from the onslaught of emotions trying to overwhelm you so early in the morning.

The smile that once teased your lips comes back to, you unable to fight back the amusement you feel as soon as the sticker on the postcard to your left comes into view, as you turn your head away from the polaroid thumbtacked on the wall opposite of the bed.

'Metallica up your ass!' stares back up at you in an overused and obnoxious font, the beginning and ending of the band's logo's letters turning into plungers and bleeding their way down the paper in front of you in a muddy and russet brown color.

The heart beating inside of your chest pauses, and then sporadically beats as your partially numb fingertips run their way over the smudged and messy ink on the bottom of the postcard, your arms feeling like lead as they slowly wake themselves up.

Soon, is the only word scrawled on the dilapidated piece of paper, and you caress your bottom lip with the tip of your tongue as you take in a deep and unsteady breath. Biting back a wince as your uncovered and bare feet make contact with the chilled hardwood floor underneath you as you begin to stand up, your amused smile relaxes itself into a small grin as you make your way down into another room of the shared living space. Old group posters absorb themselves into the chipped, yellow paint of the hallway's walls and vinyl's haphazardly rest on uneven and homemade shelves, the sight greeting you warmly as you tiredly stumble through the small living room area and into the dimly lit kitchen.

You temporarily flutter your eyes shut as the coffee machine buzzes and vibrates to life against the scratched marble counter you lean against with your cocked hip, the sound comforting and grounding as you slowly begin to come to full consciousness. The tips of your nails tap against the hardened material of your favorite mug with a familiar beat, and your chest heaves in a silent laugh as you acknowledge the original source.

"Two hours, two hours." You murmur out into the chilled air, your eyes finally opening back up and making their way upward to stare up at the clock above the refrigerator. Your palm reddens as you press it against your now filled and warmed up coffee mug and you hum in contentment, before pushing yourself off of the countertop with your free elbow and making your way back toward the bedroom once again.

Reaching out to entangle your fingers in the multitude of band and long sleeve t-shirts Cliff left behind as you make your way past your guys' closet, you swallow a large gulp of the caffeinated drink and glance at the outfit you already have placed out and folded on top of a chair, on the outskirts of the bedroom. Anticipation enraptures you as you pitter over to the dress, and you mirthfully grin to yourself and against the heat emanating from your coffee as you picture his reaction to the ensemble. You already know what your reaction to seeing him again will be like, somewhat already familiarized with the sense of longing that comes with the partially long-distance relationship the two of you were in. But you hope the letter you wrote last night and the effort you put in to surprising him will show him how much you truly care for him, love him. And you also, maybe, want to floor him on his ass just a little bit. Lovingly, of course.

✉

Fleetwood Mac harmonizes out of the record player and into the frenzied air of the dining room as you run your way around the small apartment, the mirth and confidence you felt earlier being shoved back and away and replaced with exerted exhaustion. You let out a puff of air and bite back a giggle as it sways the hair resting against the crown of your head and your temples. You lean back and rest against the wall connecting the two nearest rooms and wipe the sudsy water off of the palms of your hands, the caffeine in your system now completely gone after the last hour and a half of cooking and getting yourself ready. You freeze in place at an unexpected and too-early sound coming from the front door only a few feet away from you; the grip you have on the apron you're trying to remove slipping as you suddenly hear a key slide into the deadbolt.

"Oh shit." You whisper, before hurriedly yanking the stained protectant off and tossing it over and onto the sofa, the doorknob now being twisted and pushed on with impatient haste.

You place your hands behind your back and wrap them around the opposite wrist, your stomach sucking in densely with a heavy inhalation as you ready yourself for the sight of your boyfriend. The heart in your chest begins to thunder and catapult as he shoves his way in, his arms weighed down by multiple duffle bags and heavy carry on's. Cliff visibly deflates as soon as you come into view, the annoyed expression on his facial features crumbling and his eyes widening with anew light. Before either one of you could utter out a single word, your feet begin to move on their own accord, and your arms encircle themselves around his broad shoulders as you guide him down into an abrupt embrace. Cliff lets out a surprised grunt as you make harsh contact with him, and he carefully allows his bags to thud against the welcoming rug as soon as he's sure your feet are in the clear and a safe distance away. Cliff gently guides you backwards and further into the warmth of the lived in space, his right and booted foot blindly kicking the door behind him closed as he wholly and intentionally focuses in on you.

"Hi, sweetheart." He coos out, his eyebrows raising in muted amusement as he feels you shake against him with poorly hidden tremors. His hand dips down to your lower back to rub soothing and placating circles in the intimate and sensitive skin, causing you to take in a deep breath of his scent and sigh out, feeling immense exasperated relief as he temporarily brings his body closer to yours.

"Where's the funeral?" Cliff muses, gently unwrapping your arms from around him and shuffling you until you're at an arm's length of distance. Large and warm calloused hands cup your cheeks as tears stream down from your eyes, and you let out a sound of embarrassment as soon as you look up at him and make bashful eye contact.

"I had the whole day planned out, and I swore to myself I wouldn't cry." You admit, an unfightable smile breaking through and ending the waterwork of tears as your boyfriend's warm and soft laughter fills the room around you two. "If a reunion between us doesn't start with you crying as soon as you see me, then you didn't miss me all that much." You raise an arm to playfully collide it with his arm but pause as you get lost in the way he looks down at you. Warmth spreads through you as Cliff caresses your cheeks and bends down to meet you halfway, his lips feeling more homelike than the apartment the two or you share.

The music playing from a room away bleeds into a cacophony of static and gentle white noise as he delicately breathes out against you and his stubble brushes against your cupid's bow. The hand you have paused and already raised goes to wrap around his wrist instead, and you let out a sigh of fulfillment as you feel his steady and thrumming heartbeat underneath your slightly trembling fingertips. The hand you aren't holding on to slides down and grips onto the back of your neck and onto your nape, the firm grasp making you melt into the embrace and fully relax. The never-ending worrying of his health and safety and if he'll make it home all in one piece finally stops and you nearly slump in overwhelming consolation, before letting out a whine as he pulls away and disconnects his lips from yours.

Cliff smiles widely, his eyes doing that endearing squint that you love so much as he takes in your appearance, inch by inch. Heat bleeds from the apples of your cheeks down to your chest, and you're close to shying away before he speaks up and begins his praise. "And look at you, my love, all dressed up for me." You let out a gentle bout of laughter as his hand glides to yours and raises to spin you in a dramatic and slow circle.

"And only for you," you reassure him in a quiet tone, your blush becoming a bright red hue as his eyes slightly darken at your affirmation. "Who takes care of me, no matter how far away he may be," Cliff quickly clears his throat and looks away as he starts to flush, only glancing over at you to playfully glare as you let out a sound of amused enjoyment. "Go and take your jacket and your shoes off for me, big boy. I made us dinner."

You watch as your boyfriend seems to physically shake his head to get out of his own stupor, and you bite onto the tip of your thumb as a wide grin sores your cheeks. You quickly turn around and slide the envelope underneath his tablecloth before he could see it and make your way over to your chair. You look up amid filling up both of your plates as you hear a throat clear itself and a zipper shudder to a close, and your lips gape open in surprise as you're greeted with your partner holding out a bouquet of flowers to you. Pink roses are hugged up against tulips and blooming sunflowers, and surrounding all of it, a ribbon tied in a perfect knot with all of your favorite colors.

"Cliff," you start and then stop, your eyes threatening to water as you take in his sheepish grin. His socked feet shuffle in barely contained nervousness, causing the bell bottoms of his flared jeans to rub against each other and irritate his ankle's skin. "I knew I was going to come home, and you'd be looking as gorgeous as you usually do, with a mountain full of food out on the table and our songs already playing. It really isn't that big of a deal, baby. Just wanted to let you know that I was thinking about you on the way over here and wanted to gift you a little token of appreciation." Cliff feels his heart flutter in his chest as he takes in your wide eyes and unsteady hands, fighting back the urge to discard the flowers and give you comfort instead.

"Everything you do for me is a big deal, because it comes from you," you swallow thickly and force yourself to take in a deep breath before continuing. "The man who's taught me what healthy love is and what a relationship is supposed to be and feel like. You're everything, especially to me, so every little thing you do for me will always be insurmountable." Cliff lets out a disbelieving laugh as his eyes begin to tear up, and he quickly makes his way over to the table to sit next to you, as close as physically possible without bringing you onto his lap. You both wince at the sound of his chair squeaking out in protest against the tiles underneath it and let out shy laughs at the closeness once you two meet in the middle. No matter how many years the two of you have been together and have met up after a long leg of a tour, it all still felt so brand new and refreshing. And as you thumb a thick strand of hair behind your ear and glance over to see the content smile on your partner's face, you silently wish for the butterflies and the excitement to never end. And as he turns to look at you, he silently does the same, his hands reaching over to entangle themselves in yours to hold you close.

✉

A whoosh flies out of you as you twist your body to face Cliff halfway, your now protruding tummy protesting the movement as you fight to keep the atrocious amount of food you ate down. Your boyfriend looks no better off, the overeating seeming like a good idea at first, but soon becoming a sullen regret as he slumps back in his dining room chair and brings your feet up to rest against the jean material hugging his slender thighs. Your eyes flit over to the dessert you made early last night resting on the stove, and Cliff lets out a deep groan as he follows your line of sight.

"Absolutely fucking not." He refuses, squinting up at you from his lowered position, his face set in a mild grimace and his fingertips drawing firm figure 8's in your bare calves.

"You'll regret saying that when the crust hardens in the morning and the cherry filling dries up." You retort, letting out a chortle as he sarcastically rolls his eyes at your rebuttal. "As long as the pie's the only thing drying up around here, I don't mind."

You smack his shoulder, causing him to beam wide and let out a cackle as he takes in your incredulous expression. "Clifford Lee Burton, you are nothing less of a pervert!" You yell, before sharing a grin as you both acknowledge the hypocrisy in your playful outburst. You were almost always the first one to initiate intimacy between the two of you, shocking the musician who was already known for not being too shy himself once he feels comfortable and in tune with everyone around him. He couldn't help it, turning into a softened mess whenever you were around, his hesitancy only proving his utmost respect for you and only going after whatever you were ready for at any given moment.

"C'mere real quick, I've got something else for you." He murmurs after taking in a few deep breaths, a hand on your leg stopping all movement and removing itself to reach behind his back and grab onto an item from one of his pockets. You furrow your eyebrows in confusion, before looking over at the incredible bouquet lying against the edge of the table. He had already done more than enough; he was here, and he was present, and that was all you could possibly want and ask for.

You relay the same sentiment out loud and get a small smile in response, and an almond-colored envelope waved in your direction. Your eyes widen in surprise at the rarity of him writing you a letter, his thing more of a late-night phone call after an exhilarating performance and him falling asleep to the sound of your voice. "I figured I'd write you one back after the dozens you wrote me over the past few months that have helped keep me sane, with all of the traveling and roadies we've got running all around. Might not be as good as one of yours, but." Cliff shrugs nonchalantly, but the glassiness of his eyes present a wide array of nervousness and timidness. You hide an enamored grin behind the gift as you feel his leg begin to bounce underneath your own.

"I'd accept and take anything you give me without complaint, and you know that." You almost whisper, the pads of your thumbs indenting themselves into the envelope that's nestled in your palms, as you smile down at the messy scrawling of the nickname that he's been calling you since high school.

Sunshine.

You tear open the sealed backing of the letter with excited haste and ignore the sound of your boyfriend's amused laughter, his hands encircling their way around your calves once again as you unfold the contents inside. Your heart stops in time as you grasp onto a mini polaroid picture of the two of you on your first date. October 12th, 1979, is written on the bottom of the image, and you let out a tear-filled laugh as you run a fingertip over the crooked heart drawn near your connected hands. You quickly unfold the letter and begin to read it with rapt and undeterred attention.

To my sunshine, who I met back in 1979. August 31st, to be exact. I can almost remember it like it was yesterday. You floated into homeroom like you owned the place, although you expression screamed that you wanted to be anywhere else at that moment. Your undeniable beauty is what caught my attention at first, but your personality is what caused me to stick around. You enrapture me, with your kindness and your openness, the way you welcome all kinds of people in and give them emotional shelter. I've never met someone like you before, and I don't think I ever will. I've known you for 2,372 days, and I think I've been in love with you for every single one of them. I cannot picture myself without you, and when I do, I feel nothing but alone and starving. Even when I'm on tour and I'm surrounded by the smell of the other guys and enough weed to power a greenhouse, I still feel your presence around me. You are my everything, and everything else, all at once. And you complete me. Thank you for always sticking by my side, and for believing in the band when we had absolutely nothing. You cheered us on while we were ripping out foam from the walls to make beds in a one room apartment, and you continue to cheer us on in front of hundreds of thousands of people today. Your love is universal, and I hope to be the main person you show it to until we're old and withered, but still young together and at heart. I cannot wait to be able to come home and to have you and hold you in my arms, I've been dreaming about it and yearning for it for months. Hold on, because I'm coming home to you. Love yours, your bellbottom wearing, hippie asshole.

"Six years in counting, and sixty-six more to go." You nearly weep out, your body instinctively reaching out for Cliff as you drop the letter and photo in your lap. Cliff instantly lifts and brings you into and onto his own, gently guiding your head to rest on his chest as he runs his large palms up and down your wracking and trembling back.

"Everything is alright, sweet thing. Just breathe for me." Your partner reassures, the cadence in his voice and his natural comforting aura causing you to calm down much faster than you normally would if he wasn't around.

"Doing so well for me, always so good." Cliff smiles down at you with a soft look as you blearily look up into his bright, green eyes. "When was the last time I told you how much I love you?" You ask him once you trust your voice enough not to crack or break, and an unsteady smile makes its way on to your lips as your boyfriend bends down to place a warm kiss on the center of your forehead.

"Yesterday morning. And then yesterday afternoon, and then last night, again." Cliff drones out, the faux tone of annoyance in his voice making you shake your head in mirth and rest it against his chest once again. You place a kiss there and beam to yourself as he shivers from the notion, before leaning back and sliding your hand underneath his tablecloth to get your own letter this time. "How about I remind you again?"

Cliff lets out a warm spell of laughter as you hand him over a matching-colored envelope, almost the same in size and all. "I bet you won't one up me at all," he jokes to you, before pausing midway while opening it. "Read it to me? Missed the sound of your actual voice. Sweden's phone reception is actual shit, and you sound much better in person." You squint your eyes at his obvious ass kissing but turn around to rest against his front and to lean your head against his clothed shoulder. "Alright, brat."

You lift your hand for the envelope and let out a huff as he playfully tugs it away from you, going to fully open it himself and then placing it in your awaiting hand. You momentarily close your eyes at the sensation of his stubble making contact with your exposed collarbone, before opening them once again to start reading your letter out loud.

"To my hippie rockstar, I miss you even though we already spoke over the phone tonight. The excitement in your voice when you told me about how filled and interactive the crowd was made me want to cry. It reminds me of the times we used to sit in your parent's living room and watch the tapes your parents filmed of you, Scott and Connie. You banging on empty and already-eaten spaghetti cans and your older siblings playing their actual instruments, but you still kept up with them with your insane enthusiasm. I know Connie is proud of you, she told me the other night when I called her home. But I know Scott would be losing his shit right now. He'd be the first person in line at every single venue, and the last person standing out there, cheering you on while everyone else headed on home. I know he isn't with us anymore, but he's still your older brother no matter how you look at it, and I just know he's exuberant and standing on the tips of his toes looking down at you. We all are, because you are our star. I knew it the first moment I saw you, in that overworn jean jacket you still somehow fit into today, and that bellbottom jean style you still hold on to, that we all secretly love. When I first saw you and spoke to you outside of class, I knew you were different. The shy smiles you'd send my way and the little notes we'd pass to each other when the teacher wasn't looking. The first time you held my hand on our first date and refused to let go until I promised you that I'd allow you to take me out on another one. You are tenacious and hardworking and everyone around you is so proud, including me. I cannot wait to see you and our best friends on tour in person once again, and I can't wait to see how we end up in the future. Together, I know that. Hopefully in a home much larger and filled with our children and future nieces and nephews, and with that specific type of breed of dog you've always wanted. But even if in fifteen years down the road and we're still in this old apartment, with the same crooked blinds and the same scratched marble countertops, I would still be content. Because as long as I have you by my side and still feel you even if you're not here with me physically, I'll still have you in my heart and you'll always be here. You are my other half, my overindulgent, loving and caring, hippie rockstar. And I wouldn't have you any other way. Until I see you again, your Sunshine. Six years in counting, and sixty-six more to go."

You sniffle once you finish, the tip of your nose being tickled and irritated by a teardrop refusing to fall down. The music is the only sound emanating throughout the apartment, but you know that your boyfriend held on to every single word and syllable, if his shaking shoulders were any indication and proof of that. You let out a coo as you feel his arms encircle their way around your middle from behind, and you twist your head to the side to place a kiss on his now damp and tear-stained jawline.

"We're all so proud of you. You know that, right?" You ask him quietly, not wanting to fright him or break the delicate scene the two letters of yours made. You feel him nod against you and you let go of your letter to wrap your hands around his. "You do so well for everyone, and if I have to remind you myself every day, then I will."

"I love you so much." Cliff declares, the tremble in his voice causing you to press yourself against him even more, wanting to give him as much comfort as physically possible. "And I love you." You answer, simply and softly. Because it was the truth, and you always will. You made that promise to him five years ago on your first anniversary, and you intend to keep it until that right is taken away from you.

Cliff kisses the tears away of his that landed on your shoulders during your reading, and carefully scoots his chair back until it lightly raps itself against the yellow-colored wall. Before you could even ask what he was doing, you're spontaneously picked up with little to no effort, and then placed unsteadily on your bare feet. "Let's dance." He says, before dramatically holding a hand out to you and bowing his head. You let out a confused laugh but decide to go with the flow anyway, reaching your hand up to grasp onto his.

A squeal exits your lips as you're playfully tugged around the dining room table, and on to the crossroads of the living room and the kitchen. You instinctually wrap your arms around his shoulders as soon as he lifts you once again to place your feet on top of his. "I don't want the first day of me being back to be nothing but tears and stomachaches. Granted, the food was amazing, and your letter means the world to me, but I finally have you back in my arms after so long, and I want to take full advantage of it."

Your eyes soften as you look up into his and nod mutely, his hands caressing your lower waist bringing warmth back into you as your combined feet chill from the minor draft breezing itself inside from the front door.

You place a gentle kiss on his chin before resting your forehead against his chest and closing your eyes, the sound of the song that you two danced to on your first date crooning around the two of you like a comforting serenade as you both sway back and forth.

'Sweet, wonderful you. You make me happy with the things you do. Oh, can it be so? This feeling follows me wherever I go.'

"One day," Cliff starts, causing you to hum against him for him to continue. "One day, I'm going to make enough money and I'll propose, and we'll get married, and we can go and look for that perfect home you're always talking about. The white picket fence and the two floors, the walk-in closet, with a garage that's big enough to fit the both of our car's in."

"As long as you're here with me, I don't mind where we go or where we'll end up. That's just fairytales, you and I are the present, so let's focus on that instead," you lean back to look up in his eyes, that already seemed to be looking down at you. "You are my home, and we've got all of the time in the world. So, let's just focus on what we've got now, because that's all that I truly need."

Cliff nods back at you and slightly raises you off of the tops of his feet to bring you into a warm hug and embrace. You wrap your legs around his waist like it's second nature, and you feel complete and at ease as he rests his head in the space between your neck and your shoulder.

"But I'll accept that marriage proposal right away, if you were serious about that one." Your boyfriend lets out a laugh against your flushed skin and you grin widely to yourself as his vibration tickles your skin.

Cliff momentarily glances over at his jean jacket and the little red box that peeks out of its breast pocket, before resting his head against you once again and tightening his grip around you.

For once is his life, or in the past six years of the best part of his life he's spent with you, he's finally got one up on you. And he cannot wait to see your reaction. And he also, maybe, wants to floor you on your ass just a little bit. Lovingly, of course.

'You, you make loving fun. It's all I want to do.'

high quality pictures of a high-quality man ♡

Room For More ☆ Jason Newsted, Kirk Hammett (18+)

You bite back a smile and raise your cup to your slightly parted lips as a familiar set of arms encircle themselves around you from behind, your eyes nearly closing in bliss as your boyfriend's touch emanates much needed warmth and the heady taste of lager floods its way into your awaiting mouth. Your upper half feels pleasantly weighed down as your eyes venture over and through the ever-growing crowd impatiently barreling its way into the dressing room you two currently stood in, goosebumps awakening and creating dormancy on your exposed flesh as Jason's hands begin to wander their way down and explore.

You unevenly swallow as large and calloused palms make their way past and inside the top of your jeans and rest just above the beginning of your underwear, the studded and uneven designed rings adorning his thick and long fingers nearly intertwine themselves in the loose strands of fabric inside your pants as he does so. Light russet brown curls tickle the side of your neck as Jason rests his chin on your partially bare right shoulder, his rough-skinned fingertips gently massaging and drawing figure 8's into the soft skin just underneath the ending of the flimsy lace and cotton, on the precipice of your inner thighs.

"Hi baby," He breathes out as a greeting, nearly against you. The cadence in his soft and loving tone makes you fully relax back in his embrace, the motion lulling the two of you even closer together and nearly merging you both into one being. You turn your head to the side and place a wet kiss to his jawline, a light laugh making its way out of you as you watch him playfully raise his eyebrow in faux shock. Your laughter dies down and stutters to a hitched exhale as his blue and slightly dilated eyes peer down at your raised and beer-damp lips, his fingertips subconsciously pressing themselves even deeper into your sensitive skin and creating temporary indentations as he watches them further part and suck in a shaky breath. "Missed you."

Your heartbeat unevenly flutters in your chest at his sweet admission of truth, your tongue nervously coming out to flick against your drying lips as he brings his face even closer to yours. "I missed you too." You admit, your voice barely audible and coherent over the yelling and tipsy strangers in the room with you, completely ignorant and unknowing of the tension building in between the two of you in the back of it, near one of the exits. You eagerly inhale the intoxicating scent of your boyfriend's natural musk and cologne as his lips brush against yours, the grasp you have on your cup nearly loosening as his fingers curl up and bunch the fabric of your underwear in a slight grip.

"Oh yeah?" Jason murmurs, his bottom lip connecting with yours as he physically embodies every vowel and consonant he uses to speak to you with. You needily nod and blush as he chuckles at your enthusiasm, his eyes darkening and slitting as he hungrily takes in all of your aborted and heavy breaths breathed out against him. "How about you show me, and our guest how much you missed me then?"

You furrow your brows in confusion at his teasing words and tone, before freezing in place and shutting your eyes in mortification. "Who is it?" You ask in a groan, lowering your head to rest it against your boyfriend's chin as he heartily laughs out into the frenzied air.

"Just your best friend, is all," Jason announces easily, as if acknowledging Kirk watching you both from afar was nothing out of the ordinary. "Want me to invite him over?" You raise your head and open your eyes to gape at him in shock, before raising your free hand to lightly smack at his side once you see the amusement painting his features. You can't help but grin back at him as you watch his tired face brighten up from your reaction, all annoyance gone as he placatingly loosens his grip from around the fabric and grazes his thumb over your hipbone.

"He's your friend too, you know? They all are." You lightly remind him, fighting back the urge to roll your eyes as he lowers his head to lap at the side of your neck instead of verbally answering you. Jason half asses a grunt against your reddening skin, before moderately biting into the junction of your neck to leave a love bite. You moan out into the chilled air and nearly close your eyes, before a familiar head of curly hair grasps onto your attention in your dazed and slightly blurred, peripheral vision.

"Jason," you gasp as he sucks on your now bruising and welting skin, his ring finger traveling down your flesh to lightly tap against your still clothed and now pulsating clit. "Jason. Kirk's coming over." Jason lets out a sound filled with mirth against you, before pulling away and raising his head to look into your blown wide pupils and enlarged eyes.

"If you aren't comfortable with this, baby, just say the word and I'll take you to some place more private. This is all about you, and for you. We can wait." Jason promises you, swears. You go to open your mouth to question him, but pause as a third hand lightly wraps itself around your waist and almost beckons you forward. Kirk sends you a slightly nervous, but still beaming look as you gaze up at him from your position in between your boyfriend's legs and embrace.

"Did he talk to you yet?" Kirk asks you, his eyes trailing down your middle and finding purchase on the hands currently resting and caressing you in your pants. You let out a sound of disbelief and snap your head to the right, your boyfriend beginning to look sheepish as you glower at him. "You had this planned?" You question him, embarrassment filling and overwhelming you as Kirk takes the drink from out of your hand and places it off to the side. Jason starts to look regretful, bending down to place a calming kiss on your pursed lips as you tense in his hold and go to lift your back off of his front.

"It isn't what you think, I promise. You told me that you had a crush on Kirk when you were younger and all growing up together, and him and I had drinks and smoked on the road a few days ago. Came out while we were hammered, and he admitted to used to liking you too, and we just bullshitted around it for a while until this idea came to mind," Jason explains, his hands coming out from inside of your denim and up to lightly rub at your sides as he attempts to comfort you. "We spoke about maybe bringing someone else into the bedroom with us at some point down the line a few times before, and I thought that you wouldn't feel any more comfortable than with someone who knows you as well as I do. In some ways, at least."

Kirk nods and offers you a gentle smile of agreeance, the sight of his crooked and endearing smile making it hard for you to hold on to any further embarrassment or hesitation. "It's true. We spoke about this for hours and we planned on making this a private thing, but the rest of the guys ended up bringing the roadies and their girls backstage with them, and it all just kind of went to shit. I only came over here to offer the private room to you guys in case you and Jason still wanted to have a good night together, before we have to get back on the road for the next venue and concert," you watch as he playfully raises a key and waves it in your line of vision, before placing it on the table beside you and taking a step back, his hand falling from your side. "The last thing we wanted to do was make you feel uncomfortable, or make you feel like we were teasing you and fucking around with your feelings. I've wanted you for a while, but if this isn't what you want and your feelings are only for Jason, I completely understand."

You take in a deep breath and listen intently as Kirk trails off in a despondent tone, your hands coming up to rest on top of Jason's as he places a kiss on the top of your spine. "Jason will always be more than enough for me, but I have thought about you joining us a few times." You admit, bashful, a smile growing on your lips as you watch your best friend straighten up and lick his own. Jason's hands shift from underneath yours for your attention, his thumbs encircling around your own to caress them gently as he murmurs your name against the shell of your ear.

Blue eyes meet yours from over your shoulder, and your boyfriend nods in the direction of your best friend before sending you a sideways grin. "I'd take up the offer if I was you, baby. Five more minutes alone, and our lead guitarist is going to have a broad hanging off of each one of his arms." You giggle as Kirk's cheeks suddenly ablaze, the rare shyness while being around the two of you both brand new and sparking your interest, the warmth in your groin reigniting as you watch your best friend's eyes dance down your figure, starving-like and slow, before turning almost shy again.

You glance back at Jason one last time for confirmation, before nodding and stretching an arm out to grasp onto the key. You raise it in their line of vision and wave it around like Kirk had done earlier, a large smile making its way on your face and anticipation building itself in your core as they both let out matching sounds of amusement and expectancy.

"Take me to the private room then, boys."

☆

"How am I supposed to make my way into all of this again, exactly?" Kirk asks you both, a tinge of nerves in his tone and his eyes erratically glancing in between the two of you. The on-and-off confidence your best friend showed earlier begins to slowly deplete as you all make your way down to the room, the party somehow still as loud as it was when you were all inside, now twenty feet away and with one of the two doors shut. Jason wraps an arm around his shoulders and brings him in close as he did with you earlier, you smiling gently and clasping onto one of Kirk's hands, as James and Cliff whistle and shout from the other end of the hallway.

"You filthy fucks!" "Get it on!" As it turns out, you three, especially you and Jason, weren't as subliminal and discreet as you all thought you had been. Kirk grins despite his nervousness and directs a hand behind his back to give two of his other best friends the middle finger. The loud bouts of drunken laughter that follow after the gesture makes you all smile and partially relax, their rowdiness comforting and familiar grounding before such a new beginning and experience.

"In the past year and a half I've been with you guys, I've never once seen you this strung up and nervous before a lay. What gives?" Jason responds and asks, a playful hint in his voice to hide his full-on curiosity. Kirk raises an arm to wrap it around Jason's waist and squeezes your hand before answering, glancing at you only momentarily. "I'm not nervous because I'm getting laid, I'm nervous because it's you. Well, the both of you, actually." You and Jason share a silent look, and both hold back smiles as you each catch onto the hidden words and meaning.

"It isn't going to be weird because we're your friends or because we're dating. You aren't going to make a mess of things, and we can stop at any point in case it all becomes a bit too much. Our friendship and all of our comfortability comes before any of this." You reassure him, peering over at the door they stop in front of, Jason leaning against the frame and looking completely relaxed as you take it in. Your boyfriend sends you both an untamed grin, before clicking his tongue and nodding toward the private sign dangling haphazardly on a nail in the chipped door.

"Might end up with splinters in our asses, if the bed and framing are as messed up as the finish of this wood," he jokes, before sending Kirk a hearty and heavy look. "I invited you because I trust you, we both do. There's no one else I feel as certain to do this with, especially with my girl involved, man. There's always been space for you in our friendship and relationship, what makes it so different now that we're including you in our sex life too?" You blush at the vulgarity of his words, a complete contrast and opposition to how you were with him only a few minutes prior.

"What happens if feelings get involved? What if someone ends up wanting more?" Kirk asks, his confidence coming back after all the reassurance, now fully able to steadily look you and Jason both in the eye. Jason's cobalt eyes flash over to you, self-assured and secure, before shrugging and flipping the sign over to read occupied.

"For you, there's always room for more," he states easily, bending down to place a thankful kiss to your lips as you hand the key over to him. As your boyfriend unlocks the door for all three of you and pushes it open, you and Kirk share small, shy smiles. Whatever happens next, you were sure you were all looking forward to it.

You take in a deep breath as you follow the both of them in, Jason staying back to hold the door open for you. Butterflies erupt in the cage of your midsection as the door shuts behind you with a resounding click and the lights flicker on, a bright, yellow-tinged luminescence. You all glance at each other, before instinctively moving forward, Jason enveloping himself straight against your back and Kirk somehow already knowing how to mold himself to the front of you. And as your best friends lips make contact with your yours for the very first time and you boyfriend makes his way down the base of your spine with his mouth and teasing teeth, only four words come to mind.

To making more room.

☆

You let out a soft pitter of laughter as Kirk trails his lips down your sternum, the light fabric of your t-shirt now untied and pillowed near your feet on the carpet. You feel his lips turn upward against your shivering skin as his mouth continues to tickle you, your boyfriend's mouth already at the base of your spine and mouthing at the back of your jeans.

"Why don't you tell Kirk what your favorite fantasy with all of us together is?" Jason suggests mercilessly, his domineering tone out of character but still pleasantly welcomed. Your best friend looks up at you with wide brown eyes, his red and bitten lips now only a few centimeters away from one of your perked and swollen nipples. You let out a moan as your boyfriend wraps his arms around you from behind to unbutton your jeans and lightly tug them down. "Go ahead, sweetheart."

You lick your lips and cry out a gasp as Kirk tongues his way around your areola, the same time as Jason's rough thumb makes contact with your clit through your soaking wet underwear. Kirk's mouth makes an audible slurping sound as he hollows his lips to suck at the mound of your breast, his free hand coming up to grasp and fondle the other, his thumb and index fingers tantalizingly rubbing your other nipple to intense sensitivity. You let out a pleasured hiss as Jason lightly pinches your clit in retaliation to not answering his question. I'm waiting.

"I picture Kirk on top of me, mounting me, while you're fucking my mouth and using me." You shakily whisper out, your face completely red and your lips gaping open in pleasure as your underwear are pushed to the side and a thick finger is ran through your folds.

"Sounds good, doesn't it?" Jason asks Kirk, a pleasured jolt shocking through you as your best friend disconnects from you to watch as your boyfriend brings you pleasure, his hand reaching down to cup his own dick in the confines of his tight jeans.

You watch as Kirk unzips his zipper and hurriedly removes himself from his briefs, letting out a sigh of relief as his cockhead slaps against his lower stomach and twitches with painful arousal. "So fucking good." Your mouth waters as he reaches down to twist his palm against his shaft and makes a fist, the pleasured arch of a wrinkle making its way in between his eyebrows as he pants is almost beautiful.

Jason makes his way to your front and helps you carefully remove your underwear and jeans down the rest of your legs and from around your ankles, before kneeling in front of you and leaning forward to lap at your swollen clit without any warning. The sound that expels and forces itself out of your throat is close to a wail, and you have to fist handfuls of his hair as your legs threaten to let you fall and give out from beneath you. You force yourself to keep your eyes open as Kirk pants and lets out moans of his own, the copious amount of precum leaking from his tip being more than enough for his tightening fist to use as lube.

Tears spring to your eyes as two thick fingers delicately make their way inside of your already clenching entrance, curling up and hitting your spongelike spot with finesse as soon as they reach hilt and his last knuckle. Jason sits back on the balls of his feet and watches as you fall apart from his fingers alone, the sound of his wet wrist making harsh contact with the inside of your tremoring thighs loud enough to make anyone within twenty feet blush and turn away.

Jason turns his head to glance at Kirk, before simply saying, "Stop." You watch in awe as Kirk's hand goes slack and falls limp on his thigh, his dick weeping another bead of precum as your boyfriend gives him an appraising look. "Good boy. Wouldn't want you to cum before you fuck our girl, isn't that right?" You pant out harshly in the nearly quiet room, the only sounds being your punched out moans and your boyfriend's wrist flicking upwards to fuck his lengthy fingers in and out of you.

You hastily reach down for Jason's arm and partially squat as your first orgasm barrels its way through you, your fists tightening and tugging on your boyfriend's hair as you do so, causing him to moan out loud from the pain and speed up his ministrations until you gasp out his name and plead for him to stop.

"Jason, please." You whimper and cry out, your boyfriend grasping onto your waist with his free hand just in time to catch you before you fall, your upper legs going numb and unable to stop seizing as you narrowly land in his lap. Jason coos and balances the combination of both of your weights, before standing up and bringing you with him. Kirk shakily rises and makes way for the both of you, readjusting you into a comfortable position as Jason lies you down on the uneven, makeshift bed.

Kirk's eyes stare down at you ravenously, his undivided attention only shifting off of you once two glistening fingers are placed in his line of sight. You watch as your boyfriend raises an eyebrow and glances down at his own digits, before imitating an opening mouth multiple times. "I bet you were wondering how she tastes," after Kirk's almost dazed and answering nod, Jason places his nearly dripping with arousal index and middle finger's right against the swell of his bottom lip. "Why don't you have a little taste then, hm?"

Your breath hitches as Kirk's eyes flicker over to Jason's and his lips part widely in submission, his tongue peeking out from in between his kiss chapped lips for an easier glide into his awaiting mouth. Jason smiles at him gently, pleased, before sliding his fingers into his warm opening, raising an eyebrow as your best friends lips enclose around them and almost suck them in.

Your clit pulses back to life as you watch Kirk's cock bead and dribble, his prerelease almost landing on your thigh and mixing in with your own. Jason removes his fingers from his mouth once they're licked clean, before bending down to a squat and taking your head in between his hands. "You think you can take another round?" Your boyfriend asks you, his gentle smile turning into a wolfish grin as he watches you glare up at him indignantly. "I'll take that as a yes."

You watch, enraptured, as your boyfriend undresses himself. It's like the first time each time, with the sound of his belt clanking together before silently hitting the carpeted floor. The muscles contract and tense in his visible forearms as he bends over to shove his jeans down his thick legs, his shirt causing his hair to mess and frizz as he lifts it up and over his head, his thick and long, accommodating length welcoming you with a bob as he kicks his briefs off from around his ankles.

You glance over at Kirk and blush as he lets go of his shirt and allows it to join in on the piles of discarded clothes already on the floor, his lean and soft ridged muscles encapsulating his body type in the most perfect way. A thick and yet cleanly trimmed happy trail makes its way down to his beautiful looking cock, already leaking and weeping precum everywhere and just begging to be inside of you. Kirk licks his lips repetitively, as if your musky and natural essence coated his mouth entirely during the taste test your boyfriend allowed him to have. Dark, spirally curls fan out around his sweaty face and cling to the sides of his cheekbones, his jeans now removed and legs tense as if he's fighting back the urge to jump you and take you in any way he's allowed.

Your legs spread open on their own accord as you feel a gush of arousal pearl and slowly make its way down your swollen and glistening pussy lips. A small and tired smile finds purchase on your face as you hear them both groan out in unison, and you shift to position yourself as you would in your favorite fantasy once you feel you have enough upper body strength: your body resting in the middle of the bed with your head being the only limb hanging off of it, your hands resting on either side of your head with open palms up, and your legs spread wide open and welcoming.

Jason lets out a winded curse as he makes his way over to where your head hangs off, placing a warm and gentle hand on the middle of the back of your head and bending down to guide you into a wet and promising kiss. Your tongues tangle together despite the contradicting position, your lips making audible smacks and thick trails of spit landing on your forehead as he gently moves away. Jason looks down at you in loving disbelief, as you already looked fucked out from his fingers and kisses alone. "You ready, Hammett?"

Kirk has to physically shake his head as if he's in a trance or a stupor, and you have to bite back a giggle as you watch your boyfriend look over at him exasperatedly. Kirk lets out a laugh of disbelief of his own as he stares down and marvels at you, his feet moving on their own accord as he finds himself kneeling on the edge of the bed and taking you in as you display yourself for them. You reach out and interlace your fingers with his own, your smile seemingly deemed delicate and comforting enough to have Kirk nodding his head and glancing up at your boyfriend with finality.

"Ready."

☆

The first slide of your boyfriend's dick in your mouth is coincided and partially interrupted with Kirk's first full thrust inside of you, causing you to jolt upwards and nearly deepthroat the entirety of your boyfriend's length, while unprepared. You scramble for purchase on your boyfriend's thighs as you slide yourself back into place and only take him halfway, your tongue lolling out to massage the thick vein pulsating itself alongside your overly salivating tongue.

Kirk lets out a moan of an apology and he squeezes his eyes shut, the warm and tight heat of your walls being almost too much for him to handle at once, while your boyfriend carefully pushes the hair out of your face, whispering praises down to you as he carefully begins to fuck his way in and out of your mouth.

Tears cling to your lashes as Jason and Kirk somehow manage to find a matching thrust rhythm, each moan of yours being muffled by the length slowly making its way in and out of your throat and adding even more pleasure for your boyfriend. Kirk's thrusts hit right above your spot every time, each stroke of his hips almost bringing you even closer to your second orgasm, his added weight pressing onto your stomach in the most delicious way as he mounts you and fucks deep into you. You try to lift your hips to help Kirk rub his cockhead lower and against your g-spot, but your legs are too weak to even raise or wrap around his waist. Jason notices your slight struggle and laughs quietly to himself, before sending you a reassuring look.

You shout as your boyfriend leans forward to gently beckon Kirk to lift his upper half off of you, only to reach down and roughly rub at your clit with three fingers. Your best friend mutters out a curse, his eyes blown wide and his hands scrambling to keep you in place as your boyfriend directs him to situate himself in a lower position to help you cum faster. "She's so fucking pretty, isn't she?" Jason asks him as your tongue stretches out to massage his raising and tightening ballsack, his face only inches away from Kirk's and grinning as you swallow around him and rest your nose against his trimmed pubes and pubic bone.

Spit trails down your forehead and temples in thick globs as you shallowly breathe out around him, the slightly lack of oxygen only adding on to the insurmountable amount of pleasure you were currently feeling, eyes nearly crossing and rolling back in your head as Kirk follows your boyfriend's instructions and almost immediately hits your cervix and g-spot dead on.

"The prettiest," Kirk moans out, his tone lowering to a grunt as he bottoms his way out in you and thrusts in small pulses, his cockhead now easily nudging against your spots and your pussy walls eagerly sucking him in. "So fucking tight around me, I don't think I'm going to last long." Jason's lips spread wide as he moans once you suck against his shaft harshly, forcing himself not to fuck your throat as roughly as he'd like to with you already feeling sexually overwhelmed.

"Making us feel so good, pretty." Jason praises, letting out an echoing and ricocheted breathy moan as you raise one of your hands to fondle at his balls and the other to wrap around the base of his dick. Kirk stares at Jason as he feels his balls tighten and his cock begin to spurt out a large amount of precum as your walls begin to spasm around him, your second and last orgasm making you clench around Kirk so tightly, he wasn't able to continue thrusting.

Jason continuously rubs at your clit as he watches your bottom half flail and try to get away from his touch, before looking into Kirk's eyes to tell him exactly what he needed to hear. "You can let go."

Kirk's eyes widen as he's granted permission to cum, and the tight coil in his stomach seems to snap at your boyfriend's words. His hips roughly thrust and fuck their way into you with reckless abandon, his seed adding even more warmth into your already sweating and overexerted body. Jason carefully makes his way from on top of you once your hands begin to shake and your jaw begins to slack with exhaustion, his own hand creating a fist to fuck into as he slides his dick from out of your mouth.

Your boyfriend raises an eyebrow down at you as you lift a shaky hand and wrap it around his ministrative wrist, before gently tugging it away. "Finish in me." You barely whisper, the grated tone of your voice making his cock twitch and drop a teardrop worth of cum in between your own. You both blink at each other, before falling into deep laughter as the droplet runs down and condenses itself into the spit already drying and matting itself in your hair.

"If you're sure." Jason only moves once you nod in agreeance, taking the long way around so he doesn't have you shift your already sore and tensing neck. You look over and beckon Kirk to sit down next to you as your boyfriend carefully lifts up your hips and places a pillow underneath your backside. Your best friend sits right next to your head and begins to gently run his fingers through the mess of your hair, letting out a huff of amusement as his fingers get caught and tangled up in the first try.

"Maybe next time." You tiredly draw, sending Kirk a small smile as you watch him beam down at you and try to move your hair out of the way instead. Jason watches you two softly, before reaching down to delicately graze your clit, a barely audible coo coming from out of his lips at you lightly wince at the slight oversensitivity.

"I know, baby, I know." Jason slowly eases his way into you, relief filling him as he realizes that his plan of distracting you with stimulation would ease the discomfort of him entering you had worked. Your lips part with surprised pleasure as Jason slowly thrusts his cock in and out of you, the stretch only pleasant and your body fully welcoming his slightly girthier length as he carefully uses you for his own release. Kirk watches as your body greedily sucks him back in with every thrust and movement of your boyfriend's hips, as if even though you were exhausted and spent, your body still craved his release and wanted to be fully bred.

You carefully lift a still tremoring leg and wrap it around Jason's waist, pressing the hell of your foot into the dimpled skin of his lower back. "You know what I want you to do, don't you?" You murmur, swallowing drily as your throat protests every vowel and movement. Jason mindfully propels himself forward and rests his hands on either side of your head, his eyes searching in yours as he feels his abs start to constrict and his groin begin to burn.

"You want me to breed you nice and full, have me watch as my seed runs down your legs afterwards. Want me to feed it to you." You moan in unison with Jason as his cockhead continuously makes contact with your spongelike spot, shock running through you as you feel another seemingly impossible orgasm build inside of you.

"That's right, sweetheart. You're so fucking smart. So good and open for me, still nice and tight after all we did to you." Kirk's cock begins to fill once again as he filters your praise as his own, his hands gripping onto his thighs as he watches you both moan into each other's mouths and cum together at once.

Kirk watches as you both impossibly and easily fall into each other like puzzle pieces, and he falsely smiles to himself before lifting himself off of the bed and reaching down to grab ahold of his underwear. Jason raises his head from yours and raises an eyebrow as he makes eye contact with his band member from in between his legs. Kirk bites back a huff of amusement as he sees the shock on his best friend's face at his flexibility, before freezing at the words that come out of his mouth next.

"And where exactly do you think you're going?" You tilt your head to the side and frown as you see your best friend pause in the middle of reaching for his pants.

"Come back to bed, we've got like three more hours until we're kicked out of here and you guys are back out on the road." You lightly instruct, your heart beginning to feel heavy as you catch sight of the insecure expression on Kirk's face. You lightly tap on Jason's shoulders to flip you two over once he carefully removes himself from inside of you, and you go to sit up on his chest to gain some height, smiling down at him gratefully as his hands encircle themselves around your waist to steady you and keep you upright.

"I don't think you guys have enough space for me in there, or anywhere else." Jason goes to open his mouth to rebut, before stopping as you place a firm hand on his chest, your other reaching out for Kirk to grab onto. Once he hesitantly walks on over, you entangle your fingers with his and delicately tug him back into bed, and into yours and Jason's welcoming arms.

"For you, there's always room for more."

Follow My Lead ⭒ Cliff Burton

You wince as the front door is loudly slammed to a close behind you, eyes wide as you glance over at James and Lars sprawled out on a rickety couch only a few feet away, almost already fully inebriated and looking high out of their minds. They loudly greet you with slowly raising arms and maniac waving hands, and you send them a panicked grin before gesturing at them to lower their voices. The guitar case in your arms and pressed against your upper half weighs you down as you try to shuffle as carefully as you can through the ever-growing crowd, purposefully keeping your head down to hide your face from your boyfriend, his melodic laughter audible and near enough to make you attempt to move at an even faster pace.

You let out a sigh of relief once you get halfway through the packed living and dining room and see the familiar hallway in your line of sight, only to jolt in fright as a hand encircles itself around your arm from behind and gently turns you around.

"Thought it was you! Walking around like Samara from The Ring," Kirk greets and teases, his grin turning into a wide smile as he registers what you're trying to hide. "Holy shit, is that what I think it is?" You smile despite your worry of being seen, your best friend's energy contagious and enough to help you partially calm down. You nod and let out a laugh as he shakes his head in disbelief, immediately following behind you as you continue your way to Cliff's bedroom.

Kirk discards his half empty beer bottle on the nearest flat surface and uses his newly freed hand to grasp onto and lift the upper half of the case, nodding off the grateful look you send his way. "Think he'll lose his shit once he sees it?" You ask, hiding your nervousness behind a halfhearted, mirthful upturn of lips. Kirk lets out a scoff and helps you place the present on the carpeted floor safely in front of your boyfriend's door, stepping aside as you lean forward to test the handle. You temporarily close your eyes in relief as it slides open, the musky and heady scent of his strains and cologne greeting you and welcoming you in warmly as you take a step inside.

"Think if he doesn't cry or pass out on the spot, I'll take it as a gift instead," you let out a bout of laughter as you flick the nearest light switch upward and glance down the hallway once more, before bending down to carefully maneuver the guitar case into a standing position. "He brings this specific guitar up every time we go shopping for new equipment, he's going to spaz. No doubt. Where'd you even find this? It's damn near a one of a kind."

You smile to yourself and lightly graze a fingertip over the newly engraved name in the case, sending your best friend a cheeky look once he crouches down beside you to get a better look. "Called in during a radio questionnaire, won, and got a good percentage off from the state store for the personal engraving," you admit, steadying yourself as Kirk curses out loud and tries to call you out for bullshit. "I'm being serious! Maybe you should listen to the radio more often."

"And be stuck listening to bullshit repeats, and commercials about hemorrhoid cream? I'm good," you bite back a laugh at his absurdity and jab your elbow against his, letting out a huff as he shoves you back with just as much force and nearly sends you off kilter. "Let's get this inside before his birthday party is over, and he's too smacked off his tits to realize how much of a big deal this is."

You nod along to his words and take a deep breath, smiling to yourself as you two pick up and place the present on Cliff's unruly and unmade bed. Kirk sends you a half tipsy thumbs up and tosses an arm over your shoulders once you two make it back outside and into the hallway.

"Don't worry about it, he'll love it. And if he doesn't, you can give it to me. I accept second-hand things."

"Kirk!" "I'm kidding! Mostly."

⭒

All of the nervousness and anticipatory anxiety thrumming through you, vanishes as soon as Cliff's laughter and joyous cadence is back in earshot. Kirk squeezes your arm and wishes you good luck, before sliding over to a rowdy and drunken group and tunneling down the contents handed to him in a solo cup. Arms encircle themselves around you as you watch him finish it in one go, the familiar scent of natural musk and smoke invading your senses and engulfing itself around you like a flame, as you cheer him on.

Brown, curly hair tickles the side of your neck as Cliff places a delicate kiss to your shoulder blade and guides you around to fully face him. Green and blown wide eyes beam down at you with a smile to match, and you can't help but wrap your arms around him and bring him even closer. Denim blue bell bottom jeans brush against your bare ankles as you rest your chin upon his chest and look up at him with love-filled eyes.

"There's my girl," he announces, the loud tone in his voice now gone and replaced with something much softer, private. Callous laden fingers and knuckles glide their way across and down your hips and back, and you have to force your eyes to stay open as your boyfriend speaks up again. "Where'd you go? You got all of this prepared for me, and you almost missed out on us cutting the cake."

You hum dismissively, temporarily removing yourself to look down and hold back a delighted and luminescent smile and laugh. "Brought something from outside in for you, is all. No big deal." Cliff purses his lips and nods resolutely, before shaking his head and lifting you off of your feet and the floor beneath you.

"Sounds like bullshit to me. You've always been such a terrible liar," he laughs brightly as you scramble to grab ahold of his jacket and let out a sound of shock. "You aren't as subliminal as I think you wish to be and think you are, baby," a loud smack of an amused kiss is pressed to your pouting lips once you're raised high enough to be near the same height as him, your own pair immediately latching onto his and bringing him into a legitimate kiss before he can pull away. Cliff exhales blissfully after you two disconnect, his once large eyes now hooded and his arms securely pressing the entirety of you to his front. "Want to tell me what you were carrying in, or should I start guessing?" Your heart flutters at the content and at peace tone in his voice.

You border your arms around his neck and let out a faux sigh of defeat. "Follow me to the bedroom and I'll show you." A red hue makes its way to your cheeks as you take in your own words, sending Cliff a playful look of warning as his expression perks up with newfound interest. Your boyfriend reaches down to lightly pat you on your ass, before muttering out, "You will never have to repeat that sentence to me twice, ever."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it." You retort back, unserious, your feet making contact with his shins as he walks you two through the crowd, before you raise your legs to encase them around his waist. Large and calloused palms rest on the precipice of the back of your upper thighs, and you squeal as a pinch is placed right underneath your backside. Cliff presses his smile against the top of your head and pulls you in even closer.

"Right."

⭒

"Close your eyes!" You insist once you two make it back to his bedroom door, reaching up to try and place a hand in his line of sight much more of a struggle for you at your natural height. Cliff grins widely down at you and interlaces his fingers with yours instead, backing you up against the door and brushing your hair away from your eyes with his free hand.

"I don't see what the big deal is, you've already thrown me a party. But whatever it is, I'll love it, because it's coming from you." You rest the back of your head on the wooden door behind you as a kiss is placed on your forehead, to try and placate you.

"It's the guitar we saw and found on our first date," you start, watching with satisfaction as he pauses his ministrations and realization dawns on him. Baby hairs fall back into their previous placement and tickle at your temples, as your boyfriend takes a step back to look at you in shock. "The white one, electric. The one you said felt perfect in your hands? The one that was auctioned off and sold a week later, the one you said you'll always save up and try to find, because it meant something to you. Meant something to the both of us."

"The one I said I'd play a song for you on if I could ever afford it," Cliff whispers, his eyes glassy as he looks down at you in amazement, his hands unfreezing at his sides to come up and cup your chin. You grin in his grip and hold onto his wrists as he shakes his head. "There's no way you found it, at least the exact same one. Babe, that was years ago, and the buyer said he lived out of state."

You place a hand on his chest to gently maneuver him backwards a few steps, before twisting your arm behind your back to push his bedroom door open. Stepping aside, you nod your head to the left and gently tug him forward. "Take a look for yourself." Cliff's eyes widen as a familiar and long, slightly battered guitar case comes into view, it's russet brown and black finish starkly standing out against and on top of his lightly colored linen. His footsteps are heavy and nearly dragged as he makes his way over to the bed, his eyes enlarged with wonder and awe.

Cliff turns to look at you in disbelief, before leaning forward to peer at the engraving now permanently etched in the case. 'Clifford Lee Burton, for you and for us' Tears sting his eyes as he rereads it fervently, none of this night feeling real to him. "How the hell were you able to pull this off?"

You shrug and walk over to him, resting your head on his shoulder as he carefully opens up the case. You both gape as if it was the first time seeing it, the strings looking brand new and refurbished and its white paint and coating looking as it if had never once been touched. "I won a questionnaire on the radio, and here we are."

"The hemorrhoid one?" Cliff asks you, laughter bubbling up in his tone and pouring out as you look at him exasperatedly. "Yes, babe. The hemorrhoid one." You can't help but laugh with him as well, your body feeling light and you feeling at home and at ease with your partner.

You glance up as he readjusts the electric guitar back into its casing and turns to look at you, his expression unreadable. "So, you called into a radio station and took time out of your day, because the guitar they were speaking about sounded familiar and like the one we saw on our first date, over two years ago?" at your nod of confirmation, he continues, his tone turning incredulous. "And you went out of you way to go and get it, got its case engraved, and then surprised me with a birthday party?"

You look at him in confusion, before nodding again. "Yeah, I did. What's the big deal? We always surprise each other on our birthday's." Cliff shakes his head and looks away momentarily, before crossing over to the other side of his room and grabbing ahold of a guitar strap. You watch as he carefully picks up the new piece of equipment and attaches the strap to the back of it, your confusion turning into endearment as he tunes the guitar like it's second nature.

"I don't know how good acoustic is going to sound on an electric guitar, but we can figure it out," Cliff voices out distractedly, somehow still being able to reach out and guide you towards his bed to sit comfortably as he gets everything set up and together. "Our song might sound like shit, but the sentiment is still there."

Your eyes begin to tear up once the first string is strung, moving over to make space as your boyfriend sits down next to you and gently raises your hand to place it on top of his. "Just follow my lead." He instructs, not knowing his words would kickstart you back to an even older memory, before your very own first date.

"I need you to hold onto my hand and kick forward." Cliff says to you in a gentle tone, looking over his shoulder to send a glare to the rest of your guys' mutual friends as someone lets out a laugh.

You stare up at him with wide eyes, a stray tear making its way down your cheek as your legs unsteadily shake underneath you and on top of the skateboard. "I don't think I can do this, maybe this was a bad idea."

Your best friend shakes his head at you adamantly, before reaching forward to place his hands on top of yours and squeezes them reassuringly, his steady grip enough to stabilize you and give you enough courage to keep pushing forward and to try again. "Just follow my lead," he promises. "I won't let you fall."

You nod and squeeze your eyes shut, your heart incessantly pounding erratically in your chest as you feel the wheels begin to move forward again. Warm and larger palms keep you steady and safe the entire time, and once you open your eyes again, your friends are no longer laughing, and you officially made it to the end of the landing.

"You did it!" Your best friend exclaims, putting his foot in between yours so it would be safe enough for you to step off and jump onto the even and unmoving concrete. You shake your head and keep one of his hands on top of yours as you two make your way back over. "No, we did it." Cliff smiles down at you as you hold your head up triumphantly and hold onto his hand even prouder. "Yeah," he murmurs to himself. "We did."

You close your eyes as each string vibrates and bends back into place beneath your guys' fingertips, the song still as beautiful on an electric as it would be on an acoustic. Your boyfriend's steady and warm breath heats up the side of your neck as he strums with you, and a delicate smile lifts your lips as his chin goes to rest on your relaxed shoulder. Once the song is done, you turn your head to the side and give him a passionate kiss, holding in a petal of laughter as Cliff lets out a soft sound of surprise against your upturned lips.

"What was that for?" He asks, resting the guitar on his middle and lap and encapsulating you in his arms. You move over until your side is clad with his, and simply say, "Because I love you." "I love you too."

Cliff smiles, his waterline set anew as he looks down at you and places his hands on top of yours. You rest your head on the middle of his bicep and reach down to pinch at his thigh, a cheeky grin on your face as he lets out a resounding yelp.

"For the pinch by my ass earlier," you chortle out before he can even open his mouth. "Next year, I'm getting you the hemorrhoid cream." Cliff bellows out a hysterical laugh and leans back on the bed, letting out a sarcastic oof as your upper half lands on his lap from his spontaneous movement.

"Want to go cut the cake?" He asks you, a grin nearly splitting his face in half at your next words. You move from his lap to stand up from the bed and offer him a hand, once the guitar is placed safely back onto the bed and the strap is removed.

"Just follow my lead."