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COD, she’s just too fine!
Frye, despite being on a live stage in front of hundreds of adoring live fans, had a great deal of trouble composing herself. Yes, she did still hit the notes when she had to and she didn’t miss a single step. After all, her routine was practiced to hell and back and she had kept her mouth shut (except for rehearsals, when she would sing her heart out) the week leading up to the big event. There were no faults in her routine at all, at least from the audience’s perspective. Frye, however, knew that her act was even slightly sloppy. Her feet were an inch or two away from the spot they were meant to be at, her voice was a pitch over. She knew it was wrong, because she felt it was wrong. Her head wasn’t in it as much as it should’ve been, too distracted from the octoling practically begging for her attention.
Was it really her fault when those high notes and barks scratched her brain just the right way? Or that those giggles she scripted in were so stupidly adorable? Or that Shiver was swinging her hips so alluring? Was it her fault that her girlfriend was just so goddamn sexy ?
Frye stepped too far to the left, silently cursing herself for her lack of concentration. She was able to put on her smile and sing her next few lines, though her mind still did sorta wander to her fellow idol just a couple feet away- and no, she wasn’t thinking Big Man (though he was doing an excellent job). It didn’t help that Shiver looked so calm and collected as she performed, not even glancing slightly towards her girlfriend. It made Frye a little angry (jealous of the crowd? Annoyed by the lack of attention?), though this only caused the eel lover to want her more.
Frye wondered if she could sneak in a quick peck on the cheek or slight hand hold while they twirled towards each other. This thought was rewarded by a misstep followed by the Inkling stealthy covering it up with an impromptu dance move, on the fly. Nice save.
She tried and tried to push away those thoughts, replaying the rehearsals and music over and over in her head, but she couldn’t shake the thoughts. No matter what, she always drifted back to Shiver.
Shiver noticed, of course. After dating for a few months and being friends even longer than that), Shiver had learned to pick up on the subtle details and ticks that Frye had, good and bad. For example, she could always tell when her girlfriend was hungry whenever she would make a pout in the middle of their conversations, as if to convey the message ‘can we hurry this up so we can eat?’ . Or when she’d slap lightly on her chest whenever she wanted Shiver to come hop on cuddle her, never picking up on the unconscious movement. Or, like now, when she’d notice through her peripheral the stare down she gave, eyes glued to her for a full minute followed by a nice fumble a couple of the moves she’d been practicing in the apartment relentlessly, before Shiver would drag her off to bed. Shiver knew that she was just fiending for even the slightest touch, after not seeing her since the morning, each having their own quick rehearsals and makeup separately. She knew Frye and she especially knew she wouldn’t get through this performance if Shiver didn’t throw her a bone. Always so clingy.
So, she took her opportunity during their performance of the 3MIX. They were nearly finished with the song, just a couple more minutes until they would walk off stage and be free to do whatever they want, cuddle and kiss galore. But it seemed that Frye was just getting sloppier and sloppier with each passing minute. It was disrupting the Boss and her assistant, who were trying hard to keep face. Turns out that growing up in the business really pays off. Even Big Man was getting a little irritated, it seemed as if Frye had stepped on his toes more than enough times for him to feel a little offended. And Frye herself had to be tearing herself apart for this. She’d worked so hard on perfecting every single second of this performance, and she was now actually on stage struggling. Shiver had to act.
Frye felt exhausted and overworked, despite only being out there for a solid 20 minutes. She was less concerned with Shiver at this point, more concerned with trying to correct her movements. A nasty string of mistakes had ensued and it threw off her entire rhythm (not that she had any to start with). She was able to correct herself well enough, at least enough to remember the twirl. Frye went at it, turning to face her partner and walk towards her, desperately attempting (and failing) to hide her blush. A wave of guilt flew over the idol as she met Shiver’s eyes. She felt as if she’d disappointed the fans, even if they didn’t pick up on the tiny mistakes she made. Most of all, she felt as if she’d disappointed Shiver. What kind of girlfriend would flub up this bad.
It was a huge shocker when she felt cool lips meet her warm cheeks during their twirl.
The one simple kiss, followed by that cheeky smirk, brought Frye a whole new wave of energy. Her limbs felt rejuvenated. Her throat didn’t ache at all. Even her moves felt fresh! This burst of vigor almost caused her more trouble, though now she had one singular thought continuously rolling through her mind.
You can’t possibly disappoint Shiver now.
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“You did fine, babe. Promise.” Shiver stroked her back gently, holding her tight against her chest. Frye did have to lean into her form a little, being the taller one and all, though she wasn’t complaining. Both felt immensely calmer in each other's warmth.
“No, I totally bombed. You saw me up there! If it weren’t for your… uh… kiss-” Frye’s cheeks brightened and she buried her head deeper into Shiver’s chest “-then I probably would’ve fallen off stage or something.”
Shiver cooed affectionately and laid a gentle kiss upon her head. “No, you were doing just fine up there. Ask Big Man, or Boss or her assistant. You were a powerhouse. You brought all the energy and funk. You were a natural!” She threw her hands up to emphasize the point, causing a low giggle out of the Inkling. “You’re a dork, Shiv.”
“Yeah, your dork. A dork you can’t live without.”
Frye grinned into Shiver’s stomach, laying down more and more to get comfortable. Eventually, she was fully wrapped around the girl. “Yeah. maybe.”