✧*̥˚ gun glitter *̥˚✧
valerie casablancas x elijah hewson
chapter thirty || 🎬🤍🦢

❝ i wanna be your lover. lipstick my name across your mirror! ❞

last chapter :(

imessage
GRACE
13:28

grace
meet me at pier 17 at... 6:45

valerie
??

grace
just do it. please

valerie
are you dragging me to the
inhaler concert?

grace
what? who said anything about
asthma?

valerie
was this bobbys idea? it has
him written all over it

grace
who?

valerie
i'm not an idiot

grace
no one called you an idiot...
would you still come if i said
"yes"

valerie
yes

grace
actually?

valerie
yes bro why are you acting
like i don't still listen to
them 😭

grace
i didn't know you did in
the first place...

valerie
please i've been training to be
rockstar gf since before you were
alive. of course i do.

grace
you're a year older. stfu

grace
you're coming tho

valerie
i am

grace
i'm afraid

valerie casablancas has successfully hid in the back of the concert the whole night. sure, she had grace by her side, but they were lowkey about it. (they were not. it was safe to say whoever stood in the back for some peace, didn't get any.)

     once the concert was done, grace had grabbed her hand and led them away from the stampede that would soon follow. grace was on the phone as she led the pair down the street, before val could get so much as a word out a girl she recognised as bobbys girlfriend — because yes, in her absence he had one of those now. shocker — popped out right in front of them with a wide grin on her face.

"grace!" the girl cheered, her arms thrown up and facing the sky before grace let go of valerie hand and wrapped her arms around the brunette, "alexis!" grace giggled as the two rocked back and forth.

"you look as gorgeous as ever." alexis smiled before pulling away. she kissed grace on her cheek, leaving a far red stain before turning towards val, "valerie." she said so assured that the soft smile that had been on the girls face wiped off, "i only know that because you're you. not in, like, a... weird way. i had a crush on your dad and then i found you and that changed." she said, gulping after a moment, "i'm going to shut up."

    valerie just grinned, "how did rob pull you?" she questioned, her head bobbing to the side, "you're so bubbly and he's... rob."

     grace shook her head, "it took ages and she wasn't always so bubbly."

    "how dare you!l" alexis mocked a glare, "we should get inside. it's chilly."

     the last thing valerie was expecting was to walk into the inhaler boys tour bus — in fact, it was her own personal hell. elijah had told her months ago about how bad they let the bus get, but jesus. the first thing she did when the door was shut behind her was gag.

    men. (derogatory)

    "i cleaned!" alexis said, holding her hands up, "it just... lingers." she grimaced.

"someone kill them." grace grumbled before sitting down on the nearest bed. she crossed her legs and leaned back against one hand and stared up at valerie, awaiting a reaction.

valerie followed, sitting across from her, while alexis climbed into the bed above grace and immediately wrapped the duvet over her whole body. the only part of her you could see was her face, "i'm sorry. i'm so sick." she sniffled, "i was supposed to be photographing today, but..."

the two girls both nodded in understanding, though valerie's was slower as she caught sight of a small snoopy stuffed animal. she smiled before she could even think. she recognised it. it had been sat on her bed for years before the night she and elijah had met where she handed it to him, telling him to hold onto it and that it would be something to remember her by.

    she reached for it, placing the object on her lap and looking at grace who was smiling wickedly, "the last tour bus i was on was gracie's— and tucker's — and it smelt amazing. which is shocking given the recent tucker experience."

    the tucker experience, meaning when valerie had seen him in the gym and scared the crap out of him.

    "tucker... he's cute. i did a shoot for him a couple weeks ago."

valerie was silent for a moment, she stared down at the snoopy, every emotion she had been bottling up for the past couple of months, suddenly bubbling to the surface, "you know, if it wasn't for the fact gracie went to get him into the club we were at and left me... i probably wouldn't have met elijah. — officially."

     grace grinned, like she always did when valerie said his name. usually, she would skirt around it, but the times she said his name was progress.

    "i'm an idiot." alexis spoke, "you're val! like eli's val... this is crazy."

    eli's val.

    "that i am... i guess." she mumbled though the smiled on her face was very evident.

    the conversation flowed naturally — mostly with grace bullying valerie and alexis laughing while val buried her head in her hands. but their laughter, however, did stop abruptly as the door opened, leaving four very familiar men to barge in.

josh was the first to notice the blonde, his eyes going wide as he stopped his conversation with elijah to stare at her, "you..." he mumbled.

    "me..." she replied, gulping.

    "missed you around." he smiled as he leaned down to give her a quick hug.

    "oh, josh, you big 'ol softie." she cooed, reaching up to pat his back as he walked away.

    ryan was the next to spot her. he walked towards her with a shit eating grin on his face, but it was shot down as she spoke, "you have hair!" she smiled, standing up.

he had gone to hug her, but immediately put his arms down by his sides, "i don't find you funny."

she grinned, "yeah, you do." she mumbled, wrapping her arms around him.

    he couldn't keep a straight face as the pair rocked side to side, "we missed you."

    "don't tell anyone, but you're my favourite." she whispered, pulling away and booping his nose.

ryan sent her a wink before sitting beside grace.

    "i didn't think you'd show." bobbys voice cut through her ears.

she smiled, "you know me. always where i'm least expected."

"it's good to see you." he spoke and she nodded, "you too, rob."

she didn't want look to her right. every fibre of her body was screaming not to, but before she could stop herself, her eyes found him.

   elijah still looked the same — of course he did. his hair was a tiny bit longer, his cheeks flushed a soft red that stood out on his pale skin, but then again it always did when she caught his eye.

"hi," she said, unable to wipe the smile off her face.

    eli nodded, "hey."

    she smiled, which made him return it and everything seemed to slowly slot into place.

    "right." ryan clapped, rolling his eyes at the two, "we're going to vals right?"

    she pulled her eyes away from elijah and turned to glare at his bandmate, "we're what?"
  
    "what! that was always the plan!" he shot back, throwing his hands up in surrender, "if you think you're little breakup was ruining that. you're funny."

     she spluttered out a shocked laugh as elijah's jaw dropped, "you're a horrible person."

    ryan shrugged, "i've been called worse."
   
    "you should be called worse."

    two hours later, valerie was ten seconds away from killing everyone. she fully believed if she had access to a bomb, her apartment building would be blown up.

     she was currently on the sofa, cuddled up with grace and isobel who had come over like she usually did only to be shocked by the group formed in the living room. every couple of minutes, she would meet eli's eye and he would smile at her, a smile reserved just for her. she would be lying if she said, her heart didn't skip a beat (or two) every time he did.

"so, when's the new album?" valerie asked after the conversation had somehow ended up being about music.

bobby shrugged, "i have no idea what you're talking about." he said, making josh laugh loudly.

"like we're gonna tell you." ryan said, which resulted in valerie kicking at his foot.

"february." elijah said before clearing his throat, and ignoring the way his bandmates glared at the side of his head, "the seventh."

valerie raised her eyebrows, "i'll make sure to mark it in my calendar— better be good. i don't wanna waste my time on a shitty album."

"it's not shitty!" elijah defended, rolling his eyes when he caught sight of her grin, "forgot who i was talking to for a moment."

    valerie scoffed, "yeah?"

    he nodded, "music snob."

   she looked across at her two friends before looking back at him with her jaw dropped, "like you can say anything. you're worse than me. i listen to everything."

    "you do not!" eli defended, "you only listen to — and i'm quoting you, "god-tire" music."

    "i listen to you." she smiled wickedly at him.

    "okay!" josh jumped in, "don't drag us into this petty argument."

    the pair both rolled their eyes, and alexis who had never seen the two in the same room and into heard stories was stunned at why they weren't together.

   "we are not arguing, josh." valerie defended, "i'm joking. are you joking, elijah?"

"i'm joking, valerie."

"they're flirting, josh, get over it." grace mumbled, receiving a flick in the forehead by valerie and a glare that would put her in a grave if it could by elijah.

    "grace..." he mumbled, shaking his head as he stood up.

"he's gonna hit me, valerie!" grace cried out as the man got close only to dip around the side of the sofa and walk towards the balcony.

"oh, no." valerie giggled as grace glared at her, "i'm kidding." she smiled, leaning over to place a kiss on the girls cheek and standing up to follow after him.

"evil bitch." grace grumbled and valerie only smiled as she stepped onto the back balcony, the cold october air instantly hitting her.

     the cold wasn't as forgiving as she hoped he would be. she could feel it wrap around her body, finding her bones, making the hair in her arm stand up and her spine to shiver.

    as she stared at elijah's back she couldn't help but laugh, "how are you not cold?" she asked, looking at the god awful white tank top she had begged him to throw away on several occasions.

   elijah spun around, a cigarette hanging on his bottom lip, "it's twenty degrees out."

    valerie shrugged, walking closer him to lean again the rail, "i'm cold." she countered.

"you're always cold."

"touché." she mumbled before it went silent. the kind of quietness that made her stomach clench out of uncomfortableness, "i don't want things to be awkward or anything — between us, i mean."

"why would things be awkward or anything?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and valerie rolled her eyes.

"come on, eli." she laughed, turning to face him completely, "because we dated—"

"so, you're finally admitting that?"

she shook her head, "of course i am. look, i was scared and i'm in no way defending the way things ended, but i did really like you and i'm so sorry and i hope you can forgive me."

he just stared at her because what was she thinking? how could he not forgive her. he understood her so much — definitely more than she thought and he wasn't lying in his voicemail.

    he loved her so much and there was not a single thing she could do about that.

     "i forgive you." he spoke, "there isn't a single thing you could do to make me not forgive you."

    she wanted to laugh, "i could be a secret serial killer. no way you could forgive that."

    "it's kinda hot. i could so forgive that."

    this time, she did laugh. she reach forward to push her hand against his shoulder, shoving him back a bit, "you're such a pervert!"

"hey!" he shot back.

     their laughter died down a few seconds later as she shook her head in shock, "you're so weird."

    "yeah, but you always liked that."

    "i do." she grinned, "so... we can be friends?" she questioned.

    elijah nodded, a cheeky smile on his face, "sure, val. whatever you want."

    she narrowed her eyes and pointed at him mouth, "what is that? why are you smiling at me like that."

    "because we can never be just friends." he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "we were never friends."

    her jaw dropped, "we were friends."

    "okay, we were friends, but we can never be just friends."

    she paused because he was right. of course he was right.

    dammit.

    "well, i'd like to be your friend if you'd let me." she whispered like it was a dirty secret and he couldn't help but smile at her.

    "i'd like that." he whispered back as he was sure his heart swelled up at the sight of the innocent look on her face.

    "well, good because you're stuck with me now." she winked before disappearing inside.
   

     valerie wasn't sure what time it was when everyone started to slowly filter out of her home, but she did know her frown was permanently etched onto her face as she led the four bandmates out of her home. 

elijah was lingering by the door as the other three walked down the hallway after val bid them their goodbyes. valerie leaned against the door, playing with the hem of her hoodie that was thrown over the clothes she had worn the the concert. she studied him, watching as his adam's apple bobbed up and down, the way his eyes crinkled slightly and the way his mouth opened ever couple of seconds like he was going to say something before it closed again and he shook his head.

     she reached out, her hand clasping around the open zip of his leather coat, "thank you for... being you and not making things awkward."

    "why would i?"

     she shrugged, dropping her hand and instead running it through her hair, "if i were you i would've, but thank you for this whole new... friendship?"

     he paused momentarily, but she caught it. the pause in his breathing, the way his eyes crinkled ever so slightly. she noticed it.

"what was that?" she said, pointing to his face.

"what?"

"your face why did it do that?" she asked and he rolled his eyes.

he shook his head, running a hand over his jaw, "doesn't matter."

"eli, come on. you can tell me."

"what do you mean by 'friendship'?" he asked, scoffing at the thought.

valerie shrugged. truthfully, she had no idea what she meant, but for him she was willing to give it one hell of a try, "i mean i can talk to you and tell you what's happening and—"

"i don't want to talk to you."

her jaw dropped, "eli, what? i—"

"i'm tired of talking to you." he mumbled, taking a step back into the apartment, "and i don't want to be your friend." he didn't realise how harsh his words were until he seen the way her bottom lip wobbled ever so slightly.

"you're such a dick." she whispered, pushing at his chest to get him out of the apartment, but before she could succeed, she found his hands cupping her cheeks and his lips planted on hers.

    she stumbled backwards, her mind moving so fast she couldn't even think. her hands were felt against his chest and her eyes were wide. she felt like a statue.

after she didn't kiss him back like he had expected, he started to pull alway, but valerie was faster and quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his lips back down on hers.

instead of pulling away and running for the hills, she smiled. she allowed herself to ignore the voice in her head screaming at her to leave again. because she wouldn't leave. she couldn't leave.

he was too intertwined in her — in the way her thoughts always drifted to him, in the quiet moments that still carried his voice, in the choices she made without realizing they were his too.

     he was in everything, and letting go felt like forgetting parts of herself she didn't know were his to begin with.

    so she wouldn't. her feet were planted firmly on the ground and if she moved he would too. the second she seen him in that tour bus a part of her knew their 'friendship' gimmick wouldn't last long.

    he was right, they were never friends. they couldn't be friends. they were destined for something more. something more like a lover.

the only reason the chapter got finished was because i saw this photo and had to physically stand up and applaud. oh my meow

also alexis my goat is from my bobby fic "bad for business" that i've had in my drafts for MONTHS. will i write it?? we'll see. all i know is they're much less messy than val and eli