#bbrightwin

“Sorry.” Pear felt the desire to pout but she resisted the urge. She was usually the one to get her way in the relationship so when Earn was resistant, she knew she had to be a little more giving than she’d usually be inclined to be. “Do you want me to take it out? I just thought it would look nice for the show.”

“I’m just kidding.” Earn turned back to face the mirror and ran her hand through her hair. “I like that I will have a bit of you onstage with me anyway. When I get nervous, it’ll remind me that you’re there with me.”

Pear relaxed slightly and jumped up to sit on the ledge near the mirror. It was sometimes a benefit that Earn was the only girl in the band as it meant she got her own change room so she always had a moment to collect herself before going out onstage. This also meant that she could have a few minutes alone with Pear before the show to centre herself as there was nothing more grounding than her girlfriend’s coming presence.

“What if we added a braid?” Pear suggested, rubbing her hands together as if she were just itching to get her hands on Earn’s hair.

Earn sighed dramatically before surrendering to Pear’s request. As if she could say no when Pear was looking at her with those doe-like eyes. Earn sat down in a chair and waved Pear over to work her magic. “Go for it.”

“Thank you!!” Pear squealed excitedly before advancing on her girlfriend. She dropped a sugar sweet kiss on Earn’s cheek before letting her fingers dance expertly through Earn’s hair, adding small braids throughout Earn’s soft black hair.

Earn watched as Pear took strand upon strand of hair and daintily turned them into braids as if it was as of an action as breathing. Earn had never been particularly interested in beauty, fashion or hair so it was a bit of an experience when she first met Pear who loved nothing more than to give someone a makeover or refer someone to a new type of skincare.

Earn knew that it came from a place of love instead and whatever Pear was offering was always a way to compliment or highlight someone’s existing beauty rather than make them look like a completely different person. That’s why Earn had fallen so hard for Pear: her girlfriend found the beauty in anyone and everyone.

“Perfect!” Pear declared and pulled her hands away from Earn’s hair. “That was the finishing touch we needed.”

Of course Earn had allowed Pear to pick out her outfit for the show but always insisted that it be something that she would not feel constrained or too rigid in. They had settled on a gauzy sweater than slightly hung off of Earn’s shoulder and a comfy pair of black jeans with rips in the knees. Earn had a lucky pair of Vans that she had to wear for every show that she played so the outfits usually had to be arranged around that criteria.

“Are you sure?” Earn wondered, feeling suddenly a bit self-conscious about the way that the sweater fell off of her shoulder. She stood up from the chair and pulled nervously at the hem of her sweater. “Is it too much skin? The last thing I want is people to be looking at that instead of my guitar playing.”

Pear gathered Earn’s hand in hers and brought them up to her lips to press a gentle kiss to them. She dropped them slightly and murmured, “You could wear a clown suit with and ride a unicycle and people would still notice how talented you are. Please try not to worry about what you look like.”

Earn felt her cheeks grow hot and her gaze dropped to their joined hands. “You know I don’t take compliments well.”

“Well, take them because I am going to keep showering you with them whether you like it or not.” Pear assured her and tucked a stray piece of Earn’s hair behind her ear.

Before Earn could respond there was a knock at the door that caught their attention. Both Earn and Pear looked to the door and yelled in unison, “Come in!”

The door creaked open and a sheepish looking Sarawat stuck his head into the room, “Hey- sorry to interrupt guys but we just got our five minute call.”

“Thanks Wat.” Earn responded and gave her bandmate a thumbs up. “Be there soon.”

“Sounds good.” Sarawat gave a curt nod before his eyes lit up. “Love the braids. I wish my hair was long enough for that.”

“Keep growing it out and we can try.” Pear promised, beaming at Sarawat. “I’m sure Tine wouldn’t mind having a bit of extra length to run his hands through.”

“Pear!” Earn blurted out in embarrassment. “Keep your thoughts to yourself.”

“I think Pear is speaking from experience.” Sarawat smirked devilishly.

Without a second thought, Earn slipped off her shoe and threw it toward the door, “Get out of here! You should be the one called nuisance!”

Sarawat pulled the door closed to protect himself from the flying shoe. Earn and Pear could hear his satisfied laughter getting quieter as he escaped from Earn’s wrath. Earn turned her attention to her girlfriend who was looking quite happy with herself.

“I do love playing with your hair.” Pear whispered flirtatiously as she reached up toward Earn.

Earn gently grasped Pear’s wrist and pulled it toward her chest so that Pear could feel her racing heartbeat. “Five minutes. I’m scared.”

Pear’s energy quickly shifted to what her girlfriend needed which, at the moment, was support. She wrapped her small arms around Earn and hugged her close. “I am in the crowd. If you ever feel like you’re getting too nervous, just look at me. I will always be there no matter what.”

Earn let out a steady breath and pulled away from the hug so that Pear was at arms length. She studied Pear’s face which was radiating love and comfort and immediately felt her nerves and anxiety begin to dissipate. Pear was the perfect antidote to the poison that was Earn’s self doubt.

“I love you.” Earn stated plainly before pressing her lips against Pear’s.

Pear relaxed into the kiss and made sure to pour every ounce of love and support into the contact as possible. She believed in Earn more than she believed in anything else and wished that her girlfriend could see just how amazing she was but, until she did, Pear was there to remind her daily of that fact.

The kiss was broken by Sarawat screaming from the hallway, “One minute, Lovebirds!”

Earn and Pear pulled apart. They both burst into giggles at Sarawat’s ridiculous interruption. Pear pressed one more kiss to Earn’s lips as a promise before backing away toward the door. “You can do this. Trust yourself and know no matter what happens, I love you too.”

“Even if I trip and fall on my face?” Earn challenged.

Pear smiled widely, “Especially then. You are especially sexy when you are tripping over things.”

“I knew my clumsiness was your kink!” Earn exclaimed, her eyes widening in accusation.

“You know me so well.” Pear laughed before opening the door so that Earn could slip out and make her way toward the stage in time for the show to start. Earn ran out past Pear and Pear called after her girlfriend, “Break a leg!”

Earn turned around quickly and waggled her eyebrows suggestively, “I know you’d love that!”

“You are awful.” Pear called back, waving at Earn. “But I still love you. Good luck!”

Earn ran up to the stage, grinning from ear to ear. This is the headspace she needed to be in before a show and thanks to Pear, she was exactly where she needed to be. When she ran out on stage with her bandmates, Earn immediately searched the crowd for her girlfriend and found her standing right at the front beaming up at Earn.