Like Loving A Lion (SEQUEL to I'm Not That Perfect)

I was serenely happy the next day. It had been two years since I had felt the way I did then. I was even happier when my mère called while I was warming up while Austin was on stage; I played right after he did.
“Bonjour?” I said, a smile audible in my voice.
“Baby girl, what have you gotten yourself into now?” She asked, sounding anxious.
“Oh, maman. What did Chloe tell you?”
“You were in a bad relationship. Why didn’t you come see us, baby? Why didn’t you get help?”
“To be honest I didn’t think of he and I as together, nor did I see him as abusive until now.”
“Austin was there.”
I smiled. “Yes, he was.”
“He broke you, dear. You came on home and Papa put you on suicide watch. I have never seen anyone so sad.”
“He’s a good person. You know he is, mère.”
“Are you positive you want to trust him again? Are you entirely sure?”
“I’m about to go on stage. Je t’aime. Send my love to Papa!” I hung up.
“Hi, dollface. You ready?” Matt asked, walking in and getting his guitar.
I looked down. “Um, I have to put on my shoes.”
“Right. Hey, how do you feel?” He asked.
“It still hurts.” I winced, applying more concealer as I examined my face in the mirror.
“Look who it is.” I heard Ronnie’s voice and mentally groaned. Matt moved closer to me. “Nice face. Still cute.”
“Vous obtenez ce que vous donnez, baiseur.” I snapped.
“I don’t understand the stupid language you speak!” Ronnie cried, frustrated. “Aw, where’s your cute little sister? Maybe I could give her a call. I already had the old one, why not try the new meat?”
Matt had to hold me back. I was hysterical. “You stay the hell away from her! I swear to god-”
Nobody had noticed that the music had stopped from the stage. Austin and his band were back. “Did you not learn your lesson the first time?” Austin asked, getting in Ronnie’s face.
Ron was wide-eyed. “Oh. Oh. You two? Again? Shit, Ave. Did you tell him what you told me?” He laughed. “Jesus, Carlile! Right after I fucked your girl, she said how nice it was to have a man who didn’t treat her like a little doll.”
I had gotten loose from Matt and it didn’t take me long to get to Ronnie. I swung at him hard. “You shut the fuck up, Ron! You’re a liar and you know it!”
“Hey, Ave, I could knock your sister up and she’d be just like you! Only the thing would have to die because the mom’s a dumbass. Guess it runs in the family.” Ronnie laughed, not fazed.
He hadn’t realized the he wasn’t only insulting me; he was insulting Austin too. Austin was on him in a second, four punches in before Alan and Matt pulled him off. I thought I looked rough but Ronnie looked ten times worse with a bloody lip, now both eyes blackened, several cuts and a bloody nose.
“Austin-”
He was furious as Ronnie left. “He had no right to talk about our baby like that.”
“I know-” I started.
“He totally crossed the line and-”
“Austin!” I tried again.
“I ought to kill him. He will never understand what it is like to be in love and I pity him for that-”
I shut him up the only way I could think of.
I kissed him. And he kissed me back, a billion times greater than I remembered. For so long I had thought about kissing him again, having him back, and now I did.
“Avery-”
“Would you listen to me now?” I asked softly, smiling. He nodded. “You shouldn’t listen to what he says. Please don’t. For me?”
“I would do anything for you, baby girl,” He sighed, grabbing my hand and rubbing his thumb on my hand. “And you know that.”
“I’ve got to go. We’re late because of him. Kenny’s gonna kill us if we go over time.” I smiled. “Come on, Matt darling.”
I’d changed our setlist a bit to cover a song by Lights that made me think of Austin. I’d sang it absentmindedly at his house years ago and he’d told me how nice it sounded; that was how I’d gotten into starting the band. If it wasn’t for Austin, I never would have done it.
“From the busy parks
To the icy tides
Someday we'll decide
Where we want to live our our lives
For now into sparks
Tumbling along
Keeping the heat on
Even though summer's come and gone
I would sail across the east sea
Just to see you one the far side
Where the wind is cold and angry
There you'll be to take me inside
We'll find ways to fill the empty
Far from all the hysteria
I don't care if we suddenly
Find ourselves in Siberia
Siberia
Oh, uh uh oh
Oh, uh uh oh
Oh, uh uh oh
Oh, uh uh oh
Inside a street car
Or on a mountain trail
Details, details
You breathe in when I exhale
No matter where we are
Or which way the wind blows
Or how heavy the snow
Nothing can change where we will go
We'll leave Canada, for Siberia
Siberia....
Siberia.....”
**
“That sounded familiar.” Austin smiled at me when we were through.
I wrapped my arms around his waist and looked up at him. “Yeah?”
Kenny, the main stage manager, frowned at me. “Carter, you went over. Four minutes.”
“Sorry, K Dog.” I sighed, turning my head to see him. “Radke was trying to fight me again.”
“Again?” Kenny asked. “Shit, Carter. Is that what happened to your face?”
“Um, yeah.”
“Do you want to know what he just said to her, Kenny?” Austin asked. I knew exactly what he was doing and I liked it. “He badmouthed our baby. He said it was her fault. He said he was going to screw her little sister. And this is only fifteen hours after he beat the shit out of her.”
Kenny looked shocked. “Falling In Reverse is not playing this stage again. Not while I’m the manager.”
“That’s nice of you, K Dog. You really don’t-”
“I’ll talk to him, Carter. You’re one of the few people who play this stage that I actually like. He won’t mess with you again.” Kenny replied.
He left. Austin and I were alone.
“Can I ask you something?” He asked.
“Anything.”
“Can we take it slow this time?” Austin asked.
“Of course we can. I think it’ll be better that way.” I answered.
“So can I take you out sometime?” He asked.
“Of course.”
He smiled. “New Orleans. I know it’s your favourite.”
“Even better.” I grinned.
“It’s a date.”

Notes