Beat the Daylight
Sequel to Face the Noise, an Arcane Rock Band AU
Rating: M
Chapter 20: The Jam Sesh
Summary: All is well. 3 months later || Springtime
This work is available here on AO3. Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19
Powder had missed her bed. Sure, the one at the hotel had been comfortable, with its satin pillows and heavy comforter. But there was nothing like her bed, the mish mash of blankets from her childhood that were layered on top of each other in artful chaos, arranged to allow the best combination of weight and airflow.
And particularly this morning, with Lux sleeping beside her, she didn’t want to leave.
She heard heavy footsteps in the hallway, the scent of coffee a few minutes later. Careful not to disturb Lux, Powder slipped out of the sheets and tugged a Hextech hoodie over her shoulders. She’d been surprised at how comfortable it was, way more than any of Shimmer’s merch–no wonder Vi and Mel wore theirs all the time.
Vi was pouring a cup when she walked in. “Morning.” Even after a few months, her eyes still had that shine whenever she saw Powder, that awed relief. Powder pretended not to like it. Vi asked, “Lux here? What time did she get in last night?”
“Late.” Powder pulled out her favorite mug and her second favorite for Lux.
“She likes one splash of vanilla creamer and a splash of hazelnut,” Vi advised. “I picked up both last night. She also likes a little sprinkle of cinnamon on top but not too much because it’ll sink to the bottom.”
Still so weird. Powder wondered if she would ever get past it. “Thanks.”
“What are you two doing today?”
“I’m gonna show her the town,” Powder said, sipping from her own coffee. “We’ll pick up Ekko once he’s done with his meeting. You want to come with us?”
“Nah, I got work.” Vi stretched her fingers skyward. “New hire’s settling in, though. He’s been closing the last couple nights on his own.”
“Good. Give you more time to train for your tournaments.” Powder smirked at her. “Cause you’re gonna need it.”
“Oh, I need it, huh?” Vi scoffed playfully, rising from the table. “Come say that to my face, I’ll whoop you right here and now.”
“No thanks,” Powder said, taking Lux’s cup. “I’m not paying your hospital bill.”
Vi shook her head, grinning. “See you tonight, Pow-pow.”
“Later.” When Powder returned to her bedroom, Lux was just stirring. “Good morning, Starlight,” Powder purred. “Want some coffee?”
Lux blinked at her, and gasped. “Yes!” She accepted the cup, murmuring, “Did I ever tell you that you’re my favorite person ever?”
“Mmm I wouldn’t mind hearing it a little more,” she said, kissing the tip of Lux’s nose.
They took their time getting ready for the day. Of course, Powder wasn’t very helpful, since every time Lux put a piece of clothing on, Powder eventually worked it back off of her again, distracting her with kisses.
“Powder,” Lux giggled. “Come on, I have to do something with my day.”
“I’m something.” And she bit her neck.
They spent a few hours tangled in each other’s arms, enjoying each other in lazy bliss, until Lux glanced at her phone and gasped. “Oh, we gotta go! Ekko finished his meeting a while ago.”
As they arrived at Ekko’s place, he bounded up to the car. “Yo, Crownguard!” Ekko reached in through the window to clasp Lux’s hand and draw her in for a half hug. “What is up, girl, how you been!”
“Good,” Lux said with a grin.
Powder cut in. “You better watch those hands, Boy Savior.”
“Only if you can catch them.” He slid into the back, propping his forearms on the back of their seats. “What’s our first stop?”
“The school,” Lux sighed. “Have to convince my parents this was a productive trip.”
They cruised through campus: the weekend left the area empty, with only a few students trailing through. Powder had familiarized herself with the buildings, and pointed them out as they went. “There’s the chemistry building, environmental science. That’s where Viktor and Jayce’s lab used to be when they were grad students.”
Lux asked, “Which one are you going to be in?”
“All of them,” Powder huffed. “The boys said I can’t start my Hextech internship until I get my basics out of the way.”
Ekko reassured her, “You’ll knock it out in no time. As long as you don’t get distracted by Starlight over here,” and he pinched Lux’s shoulder.
“Hey, what’d I say about hands, bitch?” Powder reached back to swat at him.
They stopped at the top of the parking garage, leaning over the concrete wall to survey the city. The trees were full and lush, cars passing by lazily in the mid-spring day. Ekko and Powder switched off their tour notes, pointing out different landmarks.
“There’s the square,” Powder said. “You can’t really see the pub from here, but you can see the top of the courthouse.”
“And that office building?” said Ekko. “When that place was still being built, we snuck in one night and tried cigarettes for the first time.”
“Oh yeah,” Powder laughed. “Vander was pissed. Vi was grounded for two weeks.”
Lux just beamed at them both, enjoying the stories, only interrupting occasionally to ask questions.
The pub was the next stop. The lunch rush had just ended, giving Vi and Vander a long enough break to greet Lux. Vander in particular was excited to meet her, curious about her style of playing guitar. Lux was nervous at first, but settled into one of her rambles, and Powder gave Vi a knowing look as they all listened.
Eventually Vi and Vander had to get back to work, at which point, Powder, Ekko, and Lux went to Shepherd’s Bridge. After handing Lux some spray paint, they cheered her on while she left her own tag, a bright blue star symbol sandwiched between Caitlyn’s cupcake and a fresh pink “Jinx”.
The trio picked up a few supplies for the evening, stocking up on sodas and chips. Powder dropped off Ekko at his car so he could go pick up Zeri, leaving her and Lux to their own devices for the afternoon.
They lay entwined on the living room couch, half-paying attention to the horror movie. Lux ran her fingers through Powder’s hair, gently massaging her scalp.
“Do you think they’d like me?” Powder asked. “Your parents. And Garen.”
“Maybe. I mean, you are rich and famous now.”
“Jinx is famous,” Powder clarified. “Powder’s just rich.” Because she was over eighteen, all of the money Silco set aside for her had become hers, even after his arrest. The problem was she didn’t know what to do with it, other than pay for school. Now, she had everything she wanted.
Lux smiled to herself. “Well, Jinx is the one in all those scandalous pictures of us, so they’ll probably prefer Powder.”
“Scandalous, huh?” Powder buried her nose in Lux’s ribs.
“They’re going to be weird,” Lux said honestly. “They always have been. Hell, I could be dating Caitlyn and they’d still complain because the Kirammans are new money. You can’t worry about what they think. Just worry about what I think.”
Powder propped her chin on her stomach, gazing adoringly up at her. “And what do you think?”
“I think…” Lux said, tapping her nose with a finger. “That you’re adorable.”
Powder scrunched up her nose, pretending she was offended. “I’m not adorable. I’m a menace.” She gently bit Lux’s skin.
“Fine. You’re an adorable menace.”
The doorknob jingled, and Caitlyn followed the sound, arms overflowing with paperwork. “Hi Lux!” she said with a smile. “How was your trip here?”
“Good.”
Powder nodded towards the papers. “How’s hunting?”
“Ugh.” Caitlyn dropped everything on the already cluttered kitchen table. “I’d rather hunt a hawk in the rain. But, we’re making progress. There’s a lot of new housing between here and Piltover. Lux, I forgot to ask, do you have any home preferences?”
“Nope!” Lux said brightly. “Just my own room and a roof.”
“That’s exactly what Vi and Ekko said.”
Powder gave Lux the side eye. “You know, you could always take Vi’s room and live here with meeee.”
“My parents barely agreed to let me live with Caitlyn,” said Lux. “That being said, I might have some early classes, so it would make more sense for me to spend a few nights a week over here.”
“Or every night.”
“Powder,” Lux chuckled. “I can’t.”
Powder huffed, pretending to be annoyed. “You’d really rather live with my sister and my ex-boyfriend?”
Caitlyn chimed in, “It was that or fourth wheel with Jayce, Mel, and Viktor.” The kettle whined and she entered a few seconds later with a steaming cup of tea in hand. “Speaking of which, Jayce said they’re on their way. Viktor wanted plenty of time to set up his equipment.”
“Perfect.” Powder stretched, rising from the couch and offering her hand to Lux. “I should also start getting set up. Wanna help me?”
“Sure!” As they entered the garage, Lux admired the string lights weaving back and forth over the ceiling, the variety of band posters on the walls. “Not sure how helpful I’ll be, though.”
“Well, you have the most important job.” Powder indicated the brown couch against the wall. “I need you to sit there, and look pretty.”
☆ ☆ ☆
Viktor and Jayce brought Sky with them, as she was visiting from Noxus. While they set up, she regaled them with stories of her new job and coworkers, her love life and friendships. Lux asked constant questions, fascinated. The two had only met over Caitlyn’s video calls, and were fast friends.
Just as dusk approached, Ekko and Zeri arrived with Vi. Ekko prepped his keyboard presets while Vi and Lux tuned their guitars, Zeri warming up her vocals. Caitlyn and Sky were more than happy to plant themselves on the couch, splitting a bottle of rosé.
Vi asked Jayce, “Who’s drumming first?” but Powder answered for her, plopping down into the drumset chair and twirling her sticks.
“You ready to see a real drummer, Talis?” Powder sneered playfully.
He smiled, joining Caitlyn and Sky on the couch, inviting Viktor into his lap. “Took you long enough.”
Ekko played a single chord, considering his bandmates. “Alright. What song are we-”
Zeri interrupted him by seizing the mic and singing,
Shot through the heart
And you're to blame
They all joined in.
Darlin', you give love a bad name
Vi, Powder, Lux, and Ekko launched into the instrumental, the noise rattling the walls of the garage. Zeri nodded her head to the beat, her pigtails bouncing with the movement.
An angel's smile is what you sell
You promise me Heaven, then put me through hell
Chains of love got a hold on me
When passion's a prison, you can't break free
Oh, you're a loaded gun, yeah
Oh, there's nowhere to run
No one can save me
The damage is done
The couch crowd sang along to the chorus,
Shot through the heart
And you're to blame
You give love a bad name (bad name)
I play my part and you play your game
You give love a bad name (bad name)
Hey, you give love, a bad name
For the final chorus, the instruments fell away, leaving the band to sing acapella,
Shot through the heart
And you're to blame
Zeri aimed the mic at the couch, and the small audience sang the last,
You give love a bad name
The friends whooped and cheered. Powder whispered to the other band members and they all grinned. She clicked her sticks together, “1, 2, 3, 4!” and they began an upbeat song. There was no part on the keys, so Ekko grabbed his mic and sang with Zeri.
All the small things
True care, truth brings
I'll take one lift
Your ride, best trip
They harmonized, Zeri singing the higher part as Ekko took the lead,
Always, I know
You'll be at my show
Watching, waiting
Commiserating
Say it ain't so, I will not go
Turn the lights off, carry me home
Zeri pulled Ekko away from the microphone, dancing together in the center of the room while the rest of the band sang,
Na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na, na
Na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na, na
As the song ended, Mel entered from the garage’s side door, grinning. “I can hear you down the street,” she chuckled. “Excuse my tardiness: meeting ran late.”
“You’re excused,” Zeri and Powder said at the same time.
Mel considered the couch. “And this must be the lovely Sky I’ve heard so much about.”
Sky’s eyes widened at the sight of her. “H-hi,” she stammered, rising. “Senator Medarda, it’s so nice to meet you.”
She took her hands and said warmly, “Call me Mel. I’ve heard you’ve been working in Noxus. Quite the culture shock?”
Sky smiled shyly. “Yeah, they’re a little intense over there.”
“Some things never change,” Mel said wistfully. “Here, I have something for you in the car: Caitlyn mentioned you like rosé so I brought my top six brands for you to sample. Jayce, darling, can you help me bring them in?”
Sky just stared after them, jaw dropped. “Is she-”
“Always like that?” Caitlyn asked wryly.
“Always,” Viktor confirmed, resting an arm around Sky’s shoulders.
When Jayce returned, Vi nodded towards Powder. “Alright, Pow-Pow, it’s Jayce’s turn.”
“No!” She crushed the sticks to her chest, but her possession was more playful than sincere.
Ekko smirked and said, “You’re gonna make her sing this next one alone?” And he played the opening synth riff.
Powder practically threw the sticks at Jayce, taking the microphone in hand as he scrambled to get behind the drumset before the beat dropped.
The sisters sang the first verse together.
Here we stand
Worlds apart, hearts broken in two, two, two
Sleepless nights
Losing ground, I'm reaching for you, you, you
They harmonized together on the pre-chorus.
Feeling that it's gone
Can't change your mind
If we can't go on
To survive the tide
Love divides
On the chorus, Ekko and Lux joined the vocals, but paled in comparison to the passion that Vi and Powder shared.
Someday love will find you
Break those chains that bind you
One night will remind you
How we touched and went our separate ways
Vi sang,
If he ever hurts you
Then Powder,
True love won't desert you
And together again, grasping each other’s hands as they belted,
You know I still love you
Though we touched and went our separate ways
Lux shredded through the guitar solo, a cocky smirk resting on her lips. Then it was just Ekko, running the synth hook, the song ending with the final two notes of the bass drum.
When the applause and cheers died down, Powder pointed at Viktor. “Alright, Vik, you’ve had it too good for too long. It’s your turn, DJ.”
“Eh, good things never last.” He took his spot behind his equipment, playing a few warm up beats and house music. The couch was too small to fit all of them, so Powder, Jayce, Ekko and Zeri grabbed some lawn chairs.
After his series of beats and tracks, Viktor nodded decisively towards Lux. “You ready?”
“I was born ready,” Lux said. She left the mic in the stand to free her hands.
Viktor started with a snapping, electropop beat. Lux raised her hands, grinning slyly at Powder as she sang. The notes were simple, but she added vibrato to the notes, made the sound her own.
We are the crowd, we're c-comin' out
Got my flash on, it's true
Need that picture of you, it's so magical
We'd be so fantastical
Leather and jeans,
She spread her arms wide, indicating the space.
Garage glamorous
Not sure what it means
But this photo of us, it don't have a price
Ready for those flashing lights
'Cause you know that, baby, I
Lux took the mic in hand, stalking towards Powder in time to the music.
I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me
Papa-paparazzi
Baby, there's no other superstar, you know that I'll be
Your papa-paparazzi
Standing directly in front of her, legs between Powder’s knees, Lux’s free hand toyed with her braids. Powder lifted her hands and claimed the back of Lux’s thighs, holding her there. She gazed up at Lux with adoring, hungry eyes.
Promise I'll be kind
But I won't stop until that girl is mine
Baby, you'll be famous, chase you down until you love me
Papa-paparazzi
Lux’s voice was playful as she went through the verses, gliding around Powder, brushing her fingers over her shoulders, never quite close enough. But as the bridge ended, Lux fell to her knees in front of her, crawling towards Powder as she sang the chorus once more, her voice fiercely possessive.
I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me
Papa-paparazzi
Baby, there's no other superstar, you know that I'll be
Your papa-paparazzi
Powder held her breath. She was spellbound by Lux’s intensity, fixed in place by those bright eyes and the carnal rawness of her voice. Lux added in her own high notes to the final chorus, belting the song as she climbed into Powder’s lap.
Promise I'll be kind
But I won't stop until that girl is mine
Baby, you'll be famous, chase you down until you love me
Papa-paparazzi
The mic dropped to the floor as Lux took her mouth in a rough kiss. Everyone cheered except for Vi and Caitlyn, who averted their eyes and clapped politely, charmed but embarrassed at the fiery display.
The jam session went well into the night, with each of the band members switching off instruments whenever they got too tired. Even Caitlyn at one point felt the rosé enough to show everyone her under-practiced, jerky rendition of Moonlight Sonata, to which Zeri chose to do an entirely inappropriate dance to, making everyone laugh. They went through a variety of genres, and the original Firelights even played a few of the songs from their past performances. Eventually, the group decided to call it, with Powder taking the mic to lead them into one final song.
Acapella, Powder sang the lead, with Vi and Ekko backing her up with harmonies,
Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landside,
No escape from reality
Open your eyes,
Look up to the skies and see,
Powder belted out,
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy,
Because I'm easy come, easy go,
Little high, little low,
Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to
Me, to me
Ekko played a gentle, modified scale on the keyboard. The rest of the group joined in, all singing together for the first verse.
Mamaaa,
Just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger,
Now he's dead
Mamaaa, life had just begun,
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
Powder took the lead again on the second half of the verse,
Too late, my time has come,
Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all
The time
Goodbye, everybody, I've got to go,
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth
During the instrumental break, Vi tore up a guitar solo. Her fingers pulsed against the fret with each note, creating a vibrato sound. When the solo ended, Ekko’s piano took over again. Powder sang,
I see a little silhouetto of a man,
The rest of the band sang,
Scaramouch, Scaramouch, will you do the Fandango!
They all broke out into smiles during the operatic third verse. Powder alone,
I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Zeri and Lux both grabbed her, dramatically fawning as they sang,
He's just a poor boy from a poor family
Spare him his life from this monstrosity
As the verse built towards it’s climactic end, they all sang,
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me,
“Go Starlight!” Powder yelled, and Lux belted the high note,
For me!
Vi shredded out another guitar instrumental, screaming into the microphone with the rest of the band,
So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?
So you think you can love me and leave me to die?
Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby!
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here
She kept up the pace, the energy building until finally the music collapsed back into a slower tempo. The couch audience held up their phone flashlights, swaying back and forth to the muted end of the song.
Powder took a moment to look at them, her family. It had grown so much in such a short time. She smiled at each of their shining faces, ending with Vi, who returned the joyful grin. Powder sang,
Nothing really matters,
Lux took her hand, drawing her attention, and sang,
Anyone can see
Powder pressed her sweaty forehead against Lux’s, singing,
Nothing really matters
Lux echoed,
Nothing really matters
Then they harmonized,
To me
Ekko played the gentle piano outro, Vi joining quietly on the electric guitar. And here, surrounded by the music and her family, Powder felt completely and totally at peace.
Any way the wind blows
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Baths with the Genshin boys (Part 3) Kazuha, Tartaglia, Thoma, Zhongli
Tags: gender neutral, baths, quite wholesome, maybe some suggestive touches, nothing too intense
Part 1 / Part 2
Kazuha: He was the most calm person you had ever met, Kazuha believed that being relaxed and calm was the best way to go through life. Being with you? That was one of his stress relievers and even just walking you take a bath was relaxing.
Your head rested on the side of the tub, watching him as he read a new book to you. He was sitting directly next to the tub, reaching out every now and then to hold your hand. You were falling asleep, his calming voice just making you drowsy.
"My love, you can't fall asleep in the bath." He said softly, putting the book down and moving to hold your face. "Hmm, why not?" You hummed, drowsily opening your eyes to look at him. He was smiling at you, stroking your cheeks. You knew exactly why you couldn't sleep in the tub, you were just tired.
You pouted your lips, silently asking for a kiss and he obliged. Pushing your hair out of your face before picking his book up again. You sank back into the bath fully for a moment, letting out a yawn that didn't go unnoticed by him.
"How about we go lay in bed? I'll read to you, hold you, you can fall asleep?"
Tartaglia/Childe: "That tickles!" You laughed, feeling his fingers trace over your back and drawing shapes. "Go on, guess what I drew." He laughed, taking note of the goosebumps on your skin. "Uhhh, a sweet flower?" You asked, glancing back at him and he nodded his head.
You were wrong but he wasn't going to tell you that, pulling you back into him to give you a hug. He burried his face into your neck, nuzzling you with his nose. The action tickled you and you thrashed in the water slightly, trying to get away from him again.
"No, no, I'll stop." Childe laughed, letting you settle into his arms on your own. "You know, I've really been wanting to visit home." He admitted, as you used some of the bubbles to put on his head to mimic his mask. "You want to see Snezhnaya again?" You asked him, the conversation turning more serious. You loved the vulnerable conversations with him and you couldn't get more vulnerable than naked in bath.
"Yeah I want to go home. But I still have so much to do here." He explained and you started to gently rinse the bubbles from his hair. He always sounded a little sad when discussing"Snezhnaya always sounds so nice. I want to meet your family." You smiled and watched as he smiled fondly.
"They already love you. They want to meet you too."
Thoma: "Are you sure they won't mind?" You asked, Thoma's hand pulling you through the Kamisato's bath house. "Of course! Ayato guaranteed 100% privacy." He smiled, despite being able to tell you were still hesitant.
You had to admit though, the bathhouse smelled amazing from the soap and oil concoction he had put together for you. However even as you stood in front of the steaming bath, you still had your hesitations. Thoma really didn't have to go through the trouble.
"Before you say anything, you've been stressed and I want to do something nice for you." He said, squeezing your hand reassuringly. "You're going to join me though, right?" You asked, appreciating the gesture even more now that you could see his eyes get wide at your question.
"I- uh-" He was flustered as you started undressing, dipping into the nice and warm water. "You said we have guaranteed privacy..." You said, leaning over the tub and looking at him. "Might as well make use of it, right?" You added on and Thoma felt himself starting to laugh.
"It would be a waste if we didn't."
Zhongli: He was a gentleman in every sense of the word, so when you proposed taking a bath together he had to think about it. Zhongli didn't want to impose on you in any way.
"If I'm making you uncomfortable in any way, let me know." His deep voice filled your ears. He couldn't make you uncomfortable, truly. You were overjoyed to have convinced him to join you. The sight of him was simply gorgeous as you looked at him from the other side of the bath.
"You have yet to make me uncomfortable." You remarked, your legs resting over his. You could feel his hand drawing shapes over your ankles, finding the whole scene very intimate and exactly what you wanted. "So you wanted to do this for... intimacy?" He asked, cocking his head at you. He always wanted to understand you better.
"Yeah, I wanted us to do something. Something only the two of us can do." You explained, watching as his eyes flit over your face. He always took in every detail of you and now was no exception. This was doing wonders for your intimacy, he was seeing you in a new way and he loved it.
"Pardon me interupting, but you look absolutely beautiful like this."
A/N: The last part!!! I hope you guys enjoyed my first attempts at writing for the Genshin character!!! Please let me know what you think
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