I am a wild girl too
Because it's been a while and I need the fluff
Title inspired by the song our favorite Diva is singing
After graduation, it had been tough to keep up with everybody's life.
Marley and Unique leaving for San Francisco to establish themselves as a dynamic duo of composer/singers had been particularly hard on Ryder, losing his best friend and his ...
Well, he's not exactly sure how to classify Unique, but by the end of their Senior year, she was definitely more than a friend. Ryder didn't take that necessary step, and after his juvenile - yes, he can see it now - rebuttal of her burgeoning feelings back when they had the Glee Club, she understandably didn't bring it up again.
That's his only true regret about McKinley.
But when Ryder received a mail informing him that the "Oreo Divas" booked a couple of dates at the Rickshaw Shop, well, he logs on a booking website to make sure he gets a flight - and then he sends an email to Kitty to make sure that she will take the time off studying to join him.
In her e-mail, Unique sounds enthusiastic about them coming, quietly asking Kitty if "François" is coming or if Ryder is her date and something flares in his chest, something he has felt two years ago, while he was dating Shawna, but hasn't felt since. And if he's being completely honest, it was just a pale copy of what he felt when Unique looked at him at their graduation party with a soft blush covering her cheeks.
He can't wait to see, hear, touch her again, even if it's only as the friends they have become.
---
The venue is so awesome that for a moment, Ryder forgets that he's supposed to look for his friends, lost in the soft lights and the tinkers lying around. Luckily for him, Kitty "takes no shit and no prisoner" is here with him, her glasses sliding off her nose as she huffs and pulls him by the arm.
"Still a hopeless puppy?" she asks once they're sitting at the bar, with the best view of the stage, the stools they're perched on allowing them to look over everybody else's head.
"I guess," he says with a self-depreciating laugh. "It's just ..."
"What, no cool bar in Chicago?" she asks, lips crooked into a fond smirk, and Ryder laughs outright, earning a few curious looks.
"Plenty, thank you very much," he replies, pushing her Singapore Sling towards her. "Just the first time I'm going to watch my friends on stage."
"Just your friends?"
"Kitty ...," he sighs, taking a sip of his Gin Basil Smash.
"What the actual Hell, Ryder," Kitty says, munching on the slice of pineapple. "You're a grown man, you're part of the LGBTQ center team so we both know that you're less of an insensitive asshat--"
"Hey!"
Kitty looks at him over the rim of her glasses and Ryder can feel his cheeks burning.
"Fine, go on."
"-- and you've hold a torch for the woman for ... fuck, it's close to a decade now!" she exclaims, nearly hitting the barman with her straw. "I say, you man up, you go and kiss the girl," she adds, singing the last part and Ryder smiles at her.
"What about you? Where is that François of yours?"
She huffs, returning her attention to the empty stage. "He was late -- again."
"One too many, I assume?"
"One too many."
The lights are slightly deemed and they both turn their attention to the center of the stage, loudly cheering when Marley comes forward. She still wears those floral patterned dresses, but now, they're longer, billowing around her like some sorts of flowery cloud.
It suits her - the dress, this, this life. She looks good and happy, and Ryder wolf-whistles.
Marley smiles at them, throwing them a kiss, before taking the microphone. "Good evening, everybody, and thank you for coming to Oreo Divas' first concert - out of our garage, that is," she adds and the audience eats it up. "For those of you who know us, this will be a regular gig, original songs and covers - Enjoy!"
Marley skips to the side while a tall man installs another microphone stand on the little stage. When she comes back, she has a guitar strapped to her chest and Unique follows behind.
Ryder almost chokes on his drink, but he manages to pull himself together. She has never looked ...
So beautiful, radiant, gorgeous ...
Stunning.
"Easy there cowboy," Kitty says, pulling him by his waistband, and Ryder realizes that he has stood up from his stool, marching toward the stage. "After the gig - but good to know your body made up your mind."
The two girls start with a cover of "Somewhere only we know", followed by an original song, just as soft but with a little bit more energy. As he listens to them, it's obvious that the duo has brilliantly built the gig to the last note, building up the energy and the rhythm.
They both stand up and start dancing when the music gets faster, and Ryder's jaw reaches for the basement at the sight of Unique dancing, and rolling her hips and shaking her body like it's her life mission.
She grabs the mic and starts singing slowly, her voice shaking just a little but she smiles, and it conceals any nerve she might be having.
So bold and fine
I've known you for some time
Whole life changed while...
"Do you think they picked that song on purpose ?" Ryder asks in Kitty's ear, and she seems to ponder her answer as she claps in rhythm, like the whole audience.
"It has been a long time since that song was in the Top 40, and it's clearly not a classic," she replies, "so probably yeah. They're cunning enough to do it."
Oh boy you're mine
Do you remember all times?
As they were discussing, Unique has taken the microphone off the stand and is walking down the stairs into the audience, her dress sashaying around her hips and for the first time in his life, Ryder feels jealous of a piece of fabric.
Fiercely.
Oh dear boy, I wanna follow you
Unique turns around her table and bam, there she is, facing him. Ryder can't help but think that she did it on purpose, that ... that ...
You're a wild boy, well I'm a wild girl too
That vixen
Unique cups Ryder's cheek as she things, leaving them - leaving him - with a wink as she circles back to the stage.
Oh dear boy, it's so hollow with you
In a world with everything but it won't do
Oh dear boy, so shallow in the blue
It's our time for everything and I call you
The two girls repeat the chorus, dancing wildly and jumping on the stage, but Ryder doesn't listen, his fingertips brushing his cheek, still warm from Unique's touch.
He loses his grip on reality for the end of the song, and for the last one, but he's back when they bow to the enthusiastic audience, beaming at them as they carefully walk off the stage.
"You made it!" Marley screams, wrapping her arms around Kitty's neck. Ryder looks at her as the blonde girl rolls her eyes, but she closes her arms around the brunette's waist and he feels comfortable hugging them both.
Unique stays on the side, pushing her hair out of her face when he steps away from the hug.
"Une," he says softly before holding his hand. "You were phenomenal."
Unique looks down blushing but she puts her hand in his larger one, pulling him into a tight hug.
"I miss you," she whispers softly without preamble and Ryder's fingers tighten on her back.
"I miss you too."
"Not too cold in Chicago?"
"Not too foggy in San Francisco?"
That makes her laugh, that deep, chocolate fudgey laugh that Ryder wishes he had recorded back in Ohio.
"How long are you in town for?" Unique asks, making a pass at his drink to steal a couple of sips and Ryder leans against the bar. Over Unique's shoulder, Marley and Kitty make gestures that are probably supposed to tell him to be romantic and do what has to be done, but it looks mostly weird and comical, and he can't afford to laugh now.
"My return ticket is on Tuesday," he starts, slowly lifting his hand to cover her own on the bar. "But it can be a short back and forth."
"What do you mean?"
Her voice is guarded but hopeful, and Ryder takes a deep breath. "I mean that I can be a speech therapist wherever I want, and if you ... if you'll have me, I can do it here."
"If I'll have you?" Unique tilts her head to the side, looking confused but there is a spark of understanding in her eyes.
It's that spark that makes him lean forward, tilt his head and softly kiss her lips.
"If you'll have me".
