You aren’t really into going out. Some may call you a home body but the truth was you just didn’t like meeting new people. It was too much work. You were content with the friends you had and saw no reason to expand.

Your friend had texting you the other night and said that some metal band was playing at the bar not too far from your house. You didn’t really want to go. Yet again it seemed like too much work to get dressed and go socialize with new people. But you decided to get your lazy ass up and thank god you did.

Walking into the bar you looked around cautiously. You took a seat at the bar counter and ordered something. The bad hadn’t started playing yet so you really didn’t know what to do. You knew you should be socializing but the straw in your drink was just so much more inviting.

You didn’t hear it at first so he had to repeat himself. “I’ve never seen you here before.” The tall man standing next to you was talking to you?

“Umm yeah I heard a metal band was playing tonight so I thought I’d check it out” I say trying my best to hold eye contact.

“I’m Faust, you wanna sit with my group?” He had a bit of an accent to his voice and it was enticing.

“Your group?” I hopped out of my chair and stood facing him. God he is tall. And big. His hair was long and he was dressed in black. You didn’t see any point in arguing with yourself over your attraction to him.

“My group is playing tonight, Emperor” he said leading me to the table.

He introduced me to his band mates. They seemed uninterested in me but I think that was for the best.

Faust and I got to talking he was telling me about how he comes her nearly every night to hang with his friends. You got the impression that he really liked getting stuck after a long day. Tonight was no different and he was drinking his fair share of beers.

“We are on in a few minutes. We are going to get set up. Stay here ok?” He patted his hand on my thigh.

They sounded great. He looked great. Banging on his drums and thrashing his head ro the music. He truly was lost in the music. It was hypnotic.

Faust walked back to the table with his group. You slid out of the booth to made room for him. After he sat down he grabbed your waist and pulled you into the booth right next to him. Thighs touching, his hand still placed on your hip.

Bold. Faust came back to the table with a new found sense of confidence. I guess hearing a crowd cheer for you and letting the alcohol take effect really does something for his ego.

“So what did you think?” He said moving his hand from my hip to my thigh and giving it a little squeeze.

“You guys sounded great. You all really looked like you were enjoying yourselves.” I looked him up and down. I took a good look at him. At his puppy like brown eyes, his long well kept brown hair, and at the strong hand he had on my thigh. I leaned into him a little. Testing the waters. “You looked really good under the lights.”

He let out a slow breath and pulled me into his lap. A new emotion washed over him. He was being territorial. I can’t say I minded it.

An hour and a few more drinks later Faust still had me in his lap but he was now twirling my hair and rambling off complements. When he started getting a little more handsy I offered up an idea.

Leaning into him and whispering in his ear I asked him “do you live around here?”

He nodded and lead me out of the bar. The cool air felt refreshing. The air was crisp and filled with the scent of Fausts cologne.

“I don’t live too far from here.” His grip on my hand was comforting. The idea to go back to his place came out of nowhere and I didn’t think it over. Was I really ok with going to his house? And what was I going to do with him once there?

Once were where on the porch of his apartment and through the door I felt myself holding my breath. He must have picked up on the way I was backing into the wall and asked if I was ok.

“Yeah I’m fine, I’ve just never let myself go home with someone I just met.” I say twiddling with my hands.

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. We can take it slow” he walked over to me and brushed my hair behind my ear. He cupped my face and brought me in for a kiss.

Time passed and I relaxed. We were on his bed “watching” a movie. We were really just talking about whatever popped into our heads and staring into each others eyes.

The later it got the heavier my eyes and body felt. The alcohol from earlier making me sleepy and clingy. I nudged Faust over on his back and cuddled up on his chest. His strong arms wrapped around me and he was petting my hair.

“Night.” He said softly and closed his eyes.

You were used to hanging out with Faust and his friends at Hellvete and around each other’s places but you didn’t really go out with them much. Fausts band Emperor had just released their new album snd wanted to go out to a bar and celebrate. Of course Faust wanted his partner to come along with him to celebrate.

You are not a fan of bars. They are louder, they are filled with people you don’t know, the tables are sticky, you don’t even drink, and worst of all, Faust loved letting loose at a bar and would not be able to comfort you. You didn’t blame him. You knew that this was his night to celebrate and that he would be with his friends having fun. Faust isn’t a bad drunk by any means. But he sure isn’t the most aware.

If you were going to go out somewhere you knew would be hard for you to handle it would be nice to know that Faust could help keep you relaxed and ground you. But you wanted to go. You wanted to celebrate with him. And so you agreed.

Before leaving the apartment you made sure to have your headphones, phone, comfort jacket, and something to fiddle with in your hands. You’ve been in situations like this before and you knew what helped you so you came prepared.

Once you got to the bar it wasn’t so bad. Faust was by your side and you were safe in his big group of friends. You had all sat down at the bar and people slowly started to come over and talk to the band. Suddenly sitting so close to Faust wasn’t the best idea.

People Youve never met started crowding the band and slinging drinks around. They were so loud and you felt like their voices were closing in on you. You couldn’t make out any of what anyone was saying and everything started to sound like word soup.

People started coming up to you as if they knew you. I guess being with the band makes you popular. You hated it. You couldn’t find your headphones and you started to panic. You tried to distract yourself but all you could think of was picking at the skin around your nails.

Pretty soon you were bleeding a bit. Faust had finally been freed from fans and went to hold your hand and start up a conversation with you.

“Why are you bleeding? What’s wrong?” Faust examined my hands and saw where I had been ripping at the skin. He asked the bartender for some wet napkins and cleaned up my fingers.

I was still in a panicked daze. I could hear Faust talking but couldn’t understand a word he said. Suddenly he cupped my face in his warm hands. It pulled me out of my daze and lowered the background sound.

He picked up my headphones from the ground beneath me and plugged them into my phone. Classical music started to play and he slowly turned up the volume for me.

He walked me over to a lounge area and put his head in my lap. He placed my hand in his hair and I could see what he was aiming for me to do.

I twirled, played, and braid his hair. Sure it would be a tangled mess not the time we got home but all Faust cared about was calming me down.

Faust was drunk but was still able to see that I needed help. Sure he couldn’t do much but he cleaned me up and distracted me and thats all I could ask for.