We'll Build This Love From the Ground Up

Rosalie stared at her phone as she leaned against the wall of the Avenged Sevenfold green room. She could tell it was getting close to show time; she could hear the chanting of the crowd and out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jimmy bouncing around the room. After finishing the message to her sister, she shoved her phone into her pocket and looked around at all the boys. She'd known them all since she was about twelve and they were her best friends in the world, except maybe Zacky. The two of them had always just rubbed each other the wrong way and over the years it had somehow escalated into purposefully saying annoying and sometimes hurtful things to each other. Rosalie's favorite thing to pick at Zack about was his weight, since he'd put on a few pounds while they were recording the self-titled album. She knew it was mean, but he liked to make snide comments about her mother and home life, so it was only fair.

A few minutes later, someone poked their head in the door to tell the guys it was time to get ready to go onstage. Rosalie sprung away from the wall, falling in step next to Jimmy and cutting Zacky off. "Stay out of my way, Jesus Christ," she said scathingly. "I mean, I know being chubby makes you a little slow, but you know the rule. Ladies first."

---

Brian knew he should be tired, after the night he'd had last night. But it was hard to believe tired when they had a show. They'd been doing this for almost ten years and hearing the chanting of the crowd still got his adrenaline pumping. When someone poked their head in the door to tell them it was time to get ready to go on stage, Brian peeled himself off the couch and fell in step behind Zacky, laying his hand on the other guitarist's shoulder when he heard Rosalie's comment. "Ignore her, man," he whispered in Zack's ear. "You know she's just doing it to get under your skin." Of course, Zacky did the same thing to her, but that was beside the point right now. "Let's go check on the guitars and my very attractive new tech." Brian's previous guitar tech had opted out of the this tour after finding out his girlfriend was pregnant, so Larry had been forced to find him a new one. Luckily this new guitar tech was a girl, and as Brian had said to Zacky, a very attractive one at that.

He walked with Zacky over to where the two guitar techs were set up, leaning against the wall as he looked over Sasha. "How are the guitars coming along?" he asked, smiling. "It's just about show time."

Zacky narrowed his eyes at Rosalie's words, opening his mouth to speak, but stopping when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at Brian, huffing as he followed the slightly taller man. He wanted to rip Rosalie a new one, but he knew he needed to stay calm and not stressed before this show. That was the most important thing right now, the music, the show, and the fans. Not some bitch's snide comments. How did Jimmy even live with her? She was literally the most annoying human being he'd ever encountered. He raised an eyebrow when Brian mentioned an "attractive" guitar tech, confused. He knew he'd gotten a new one, but attractive? Was that really the word to use? But as soon as he laid eyes on the girl, he understood. They didn't usually have any girls in the crew, but he guessed it would be a new experience for all of them. And he could definitely see that Brian was already stripping her down with his eyes. And he was sure the other guys would try to flirt with her too, especially Jimmy because he was a little shit like that sometimes.

He offered her a kind smile before looking at his own guitar tech, grinning when the guy handed him his guitar. "Thanks, man," he said, pulling the strap over his shoulder and adjusting it around his arm. Man, every time he put on a guitar felt like the first time again, and he loved that feeling. He also loved the feeling of playing for all their fans, knowing that people actually paid to drive out here and enjoy their music. It was the best feeling in the world.

---

Sasha had just finished tuning Brian's guitar when she heard new voices, looking up and seeing Brian and Zacky walking over to her and Tim, Zacky's guitar tech. She smiled at them. "You're just in time," she said, unable to help as her eyes scanned over Brian's body. Sasha had been in love with the guitar ever since she was a little girl. Her parents had left her on the street when she was just three years old, and while it was incredibly hard for her to remember anything from that time since she was so young, she did have one memory. And that was seeing a homeless man playing a guitar for tips across the street. She'd been so little at the time, and all she'd had on her was a quarter that she picked up off the floor in her parents' home, so she dropped it into his jar. And that was when she'd gotten caught and called into social services.

But ever since then, she'd loved playing the guitar. She had one of her own at home, an old acoustic, nothing extravagant like these guys had. She'd auditioned for this one band right out of high school, and instead of being picked as the guitarist, they offered her a job as a guitar tech. It wasn't a big band, it was pretty small actually. And she'd worked with a few other bands over the years that were much smaller than Avenged Sevenfold. She wasn't used to the way they worked. Everyone was running around frantically and moving at such a fast pace that she wasn't used to, so she was still learning and trying to catch up. She handed Brian his guitar, smiling softly at him.

"You're so mean to him, Rosie," Jimmy whispered to her as they walked towards the stage. There was a tone to his voice, one that usually signalled that he was plotting something, and with Jimmy that was never a good thing. "Why are you so mean to him?"

"He's mean to me, too," Rosalie hissed. "He calls me a slut all the damn time, why can't I call him fat?" She tried not to let it hurt when Zacky said that to her, because Rosalie had no problem admitting that she was a slut, but it was the same as Zack's weight was for him. It got under her skin. "Why do you care anyway? It's the same as it's been since we were like twelve. I figured you would be used to it by now."

"Oh no reason, I was just thinking about how you guys could fix your little problem. You wanna know what I think?"

"Not really, but I'm sure you're going to tell me anyway."

"I think you and Zacky just need to fuck and get it over with," Jimmy said, and Rosalie's eyes widened. That came waaaaaaay out of left field. "I mean, it's obvious that the reason you two don't get along is because of the sexual tension."

---

Brian watched Sasha's eyes as they traveled over his body, and he couldn't help the slight smirk that appeared on his face. It was just the type of person that he was; he preferred quick flings and one-night stands over relationships, ever since he'd had his heart ripped out and stomped on a few years ago. He was what some people would call 'love 'em and leave 'em' and he preferred it that way, no chance of getting his heart broken. He had been thinking about making the guitar tech his newest conquest for quite awhile and now that he knew she was interested in him, he had no reservations about moving forward. Brian would just have to go about things a little differently with Sasha, because he knew Larry would have his head and his dick on a platter if he ran off his guitar tech after barely two months on tour. Especially if it was because he'd fucked her.

Brian took his first guitar from Sasha and strummed over the strings. Even without the amp, it still sounded fantastic. "You did great," he told Sasha. He gave her a crooked grin. "Larry made a good decision when he hired you." He gave her a wink before he turned to Zacky. "Alright man, you ready to get the fucking show on? And of course afterwards we're going out for drinks, see if we can't get you laid." Brian chuckled as he moved up to the sidestage. He would have to remember to invite Sasha along for drinks, because he was sure that with a little alcohol in her system, she would be easier to ply and bend to his will. Of course, even if he couldn't get lucky tonight, he knew he would eventually. Brian just had this way about him, girls couldn't resist him. "Maybe if you get Rosalie drunk enough she'll suck your dick."

Zacky snorted at Brian's words, but then his eyes widened at his last comment. "What?" he scoffed, shaking his head. "No way in hell that's happening. I wouldn't want my dick in her mouth if we were the last two people on earth. I'd rather fuck a cactus." Before Brian even had the chance to reply, it was time for them to go on, and now Zacky was stuck with the image of Rosalie giving him a blowjob in his head. "Fucking great." He grumbled incoherently as he walked out on stage, really wanting to punch Brian in the dick right now. Why did he seem to think that he wanted to sleep with Rosalie? Because he sure as hell didn't. He couldn't stand her and her petty insults. It was like she had nothing better to do with her time than to sit and write up new insults to use on him every day.

But he guessed he'd be lying if he said he didn't say some mean shit to her too. He just couldn't help it. Most of the time, she started it, but sometimes he got cocky enough to start arguments too. And he could say some really mean stuff to her. Especially when he was drunk. He might be a fatass, but she was a cum-guzzling slut. At least, that had been his latest and most favorite insult to use. Because it was true. All she did was choke on dick all the time. He wondered if she'd slept with Jimmy at all. Probably, knowing the both of them.

---

Sasha grinned at his comment, mumbling a small "thank you" before he turned away. She followed them to the side of the stage, excited to see them go on. When she'd first gotten this job, she hadn't known who Avenged Sevenfold was, so she'd gone home after getting the call and did some research. She learned all their names before she went on YouTube to look up some of their music. After listening to a few of their songs in studio quality, she looked for some live footage and watched a bunch of those. They seemed so amazing on stage, and she'd been right. The whole band just had this chemistry that not a lot of other bands did. It was like they were actual brothers instead of guys who just met up and played instruments together, and that was what she loved about them. Not to mention, they were incredible entertainers, especially Matt. The way he always got the crowd involved was amazing. This band really loved their fans, and it actually made her heart swell a bit to think about.

She watched as the guys went out on stage, Matt playing the organ intro to Critical Acclaim. Not only was this band amazing and entertaining, but they also made some amazing music too. Most of the bands she had worked for had played mediocre music at best. But this was music she could actually take home with her and enjoy while she cleaned or cooked or something. Once the song kicked in and the lights went up, her eyes traveled to Brian, watching him play. He really was amazing and beautiful, and she wished she could play guitar as well as he did.

"Please, do you know how many diseases I'd probably catch if I touched his dick?" Rosalie said, scoffing. Zacky was the last person on the planet she'd want anywhere near her vagina. And if she was going to sleep with one of the guys, it certainly wouldn't be him. "Besides, he wouldn't know what to do with me. That fatass hasn't gotten laid in so long that he's probably forgotten where he's even supposed to stick his dick."

"I'll make it happen, you'll see," Jimmy said, grinning. "I'll get you guys to have sex and then you'll fall in love and you'll thank me at your wedding."

"Whatever you're on, you need to share it," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes. She gave him a shove. "Get your ass on stage and stop bothering me." She watched as Jimmy hurried off to take his place behind his kit, goosebumps rising up over her skin as the intro to Afterlife started to play. She'd been with the guys from the very beginning, from playing empty shows and touring in a tiny ass van, and she almost felt like a proud mother watching them now, playing in front of thousands of fans. They'd worked so hard to get where they were now and they deserved every second of their fame.

---

After they'd finished the last song of the show, Brian handed his guitar off to Sasha, giving her a smile before he went back onto the stage to toss picks to the audience. He always tried to chuck a few out as far as he could so that someone who wasn't at the front could get one, but the picks didn't travel very far. When his picks were gone, Brian slipped off the stage, going over to where Sasha was putting away his guitars so the roadies could load them onto the truck. "Hey, do you have any plans after this?" he asked, leaning against the wall. "If not, you should totally come out with us. We'll probably hit a bar or two, get drunk. It's lots of fun." He dug around in his pocket for a piece of paper, taking a pen from one of the techs to scribble down his phone number. He handed the paper to Sasha. "Here's my number. We'll all probably go back to the bus to shower before we go out and Rosalie will want to get ready, so it'll probably be an hour or so. But if you decide you want to come with us, text me and I'll tell everyone we need to wait on you. I hope you'll join us, though."

Brian gave Sasha a wink before he walked away, heading back to the bus. Hanging back to talk to Sasha had set him back, so he was sure he'd have to wait awhile before he got a chance to shower. When he got to the bus, Matt was in the shower. Johnny was standing close to the bathroom which meant he was probably next, and Zacky and Jimmy were sitting on the couch, with Zacky looking somewhat irritated with the drummer. "Jimmy, leave him the fuck alone, let the kid have a drink before you start bothering him," Brian laughed, plopping down on the couch. "So I think Sasha might be coming with us to the bar. I invited her, at least."

Zacky narrowed his eyes at Jimmy, glad Brian had intervened, because he was literally ready to knock Jimmy in the jaw. He looked at Brian, chuckling. "Good luck if she comes, knowing your reputation," he teased, picking at a loose string on his shirt. Everyone knew Brian was a womanizer, it wasn't some kind of secret. He couldn't count the number of times he'd overheard Brian rejecting some girl who'd gotten a little too attached. But this Sasha girl seemed nice, and he kind of hoped she didn't come because he didn't want her to end up getting hurt. She wasn't some groupie who was out here looking to fuck all the guys. She seemed genuinely nice and like she was really just here to work. He looked over when Jimmy started picking at his hair, glaring at the tall man. "Do you have nothing better to do than torment me?"

Jimmy pouted at him and scoffed, looking away. "I was just trying to have a little fun, but nope. I see how it is," he said.

Zacky rolled his eyes. "Don't be a drama queen," he grumbled, standing up. He looked over when Matt emerged from the bathroom, quickly standing up and walking over to Johnny. He stole the short man's towel and slipped in the door, shutting it and locking it. He smirked when he heard Johnny whining on the other side about how it had been his turn next, but Zacky ignored him. He just needed some time to himself right now to think.

---

Sasha stared down at the piece of paper, biting her lip gently. This could be fun. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and entered the number into her contacts as Brian, slipping her phone and the piece of paper back into her pocket. She helped get all of the equipment packed so it could be moved into the trailer before making her way back to the bus she shared with the other techs. She climbed on and went back to her bunk, wondering what she could possibly wear. Should she doll herself up or go more casual? What would Brian like? She sighed, deciding she'd doll herself up a bit more since she felt like that's what he might like.

She didn't have anything too fancy to wear, but she had brought some nicer clothes to wear in case something like this had come up. So she grabbed the clothes she wanted to wear and went into the bathroom to change. This bathroom was so tiny, and it made her feel a bit claustrophobic. It reminded her of the bathroom she'd had to use at one of the foster homes she'd lived in years and years ago. That had been one of the worst, and she still had nightmares about it to this day. She was just glad that she was an adult now and she didn't have to deal with that anymore.

Rosalie could hear the boys chattering and shouting in the front area of the bus, mostly Johnny whining about Zacky cutting in line for the shower. She rolled her eyes as she started to pull her makeup out of her bag. Of course that stupid motherfucker couldn't wait his turn. She personally saw the point in showering before they went out drinking; she was just going to get drunk and sweaty. Of course, she wasn't sweaty from playing a show, so she could understand why the guys wanted to shower before they went out. Rosalie finished with her makeup, finishing her look off with a bit of bright red lipstick. It was matte, and in Jimmy's words, 'hoe proof'. Next she got dressed before she went out to sit on the couch to wait for the guys, passing by the bathroom just as Zacky came out, only a towel keeping him decent.

Rosalie let her eyes skim over his body before she fixed him with a scathing smirk. "I hope you're not planning on getting lucky tonight," she said. "Because I don't think any girl would be desperate enough to touch you. They'd probably have a hard time finding your dick, anyway." She slipped away as Johnny finally got his turn in the shower, giving Zacky a shove and grumbling about waiting his turn.

"You're so mean, Rosie," Jimmy said again, poking her side as she sat down. "You should probably be a little nicer to your future husband."

"Again with this shit?" she hissed. "Jimmy, I don't know where this idea of yours came from, but it's stupid. Give it up."

---

"Hey fuck you, she'll come," Brian said, laughing. He knew she would, he was just cocky like that. He knew there weren't a lot of women that could resist him. Sure, he had a reputation of being a bit of a womanizer, but that didn't stop the girls from flocking to him. He grabbed a towel from his bag and sat down on the couch, ready to take his turn after Johnny, shouting out in playful outrage when Zacky cut in front of the bassist. "Wait your turn, motherfucker!" he shouted, laughing as Johnny whined. When Zacky came out, Johnny finally went in and Brian stood up to go and stand by the door to make sure that Jimmy wouldn't try and cut, too. The drummer needed the least amount of time to get ready, since he would do nothing except change clothes.

By the time everyone was finally ready, Brian still hadn't gotten a text from Sasha. He didn't think she was trying to back out of going with them, but he figured she was either not finished getting ready or was too shy to message him. "One of you fuckers call a couple of cabs, I'm going to go to the crew bus and see if Sasha is still coming with us." He walked off the bus and hurried over to the crew bus, pounding on the door with his fist. Zacky's guitar tech was the one to answer the door and when Brian asked for Sasha, Tim went off to get her. "Hey," Brian said, eyes skimming over her body. "You look great. Are you still coming out to drink with us?"

Zacky narrowed his eyes at Rosalie's comments, scoffing and shaking his head. "That's okay, Rosalie!" he called after her. "At least I won't be caught choking on dick!" He wanted to say so many other bad things to her, but he didn't have the time. He needed to get dressed. He quickly dressed himself and walked into the living area, looking down at Rosalie and smirking. "You left your ointment in your bunk. You might want to bring that just in case you have a flare-up. I would hate for you to get an itch while you're contracting more diseases. That would ruin all the fun." Before she could even respond, he walked off the bus and lit up a cigarette, closing his eyes and taking a puff of it. He blew the smoke out into the air, sighing heavily. Honestly, Rosalie stressed him out more than the whole process of touring did. He had no idea why it was necessary for Jimmy to bring her along. She would be fine on her own. She knew how to feed and water herself.

---

[url=www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=208954741]Sasha[/url] looked up when Tim called her name, smiling when he said Brian was at the door. She went to the door of the bus, looking down at Brian and blushing slightly at his comment. "Yeah," she murmured. "Thanks." She stepped off the bus and shut the door behind her, turning to him and looking him over, biting her lip. He looked absolutely amazing, even more so than he had earlier. She hoped she looked suitable enough for wherever they were going. She probably should have packed a dress or something, but honestly, she never thought she'd be asked to go out somewhere. Or invited, she guessed. She followed him over to his bus, offering Zacky a small smile when she saw him. He looked pissed off and she wondered what had happened.

"Yeah, fuck you," Rosalie grumbled as Zacky left. He always did that; said something rude and then walked away. He was just too scared of her comeback, she knew it. After what seemed like forever, Brian returned with his guitar tech in tow and it was finally time to leave. Rosalie walked with Jimmy off the bus, not even bothering to glance in Zacky's direction as she walked past him. She was just ready to go out and have a few drinks and have a little fun. And if she wanted to take somebody home, that was her prerogative. Screw Zacky. He could call her a slut all he wanted, but at least she was getting laid. Rosalie couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him with a girl.

When the finally got to the bar, Jimmy was quick to drag Rosalie off to the bar. "Take a couple of shots with me, Rosie," he urged.

She glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow. "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

"Of course I am!" Jimmy exclaimed. "Who the hell do you think I am?"

---

Brian shot Sasha a grin. "Sweet, let's go, then," he said. "The cabs should be here soon." He led the tech over to his bus, noticing her glancing at him in the corner of his eye. He smiled to himself. Either his reputation must not have reached her yet or she didn't care, because she still seemed interested in him. And to Brian that was more than enough to signal a green light. He pulled Sasha in next to him in the cab, draping his arm casually over her shoulder as he talked across her to Matt. At the bar, he laid his hand on the small of her back as they were led to their table. From all of his prior experience, Brian had learned that the small, subtle touches helped quite a bit, and he didn't even have to work all that hard. "Don't be afraid to order whatever you want, sweetheart," he whispered to her. "It's all on us." When the waitress came around, Brian ordered his usual, a rum and coke and then gave Sasha a nudge, wordlessly giving her a cue to order her drink.

Zacky found it hilarious that Rosalie was so sure he wasn't getting laid. Maybe he hadn't lately, but that was because he either wasn't in the mood, or he had other things to deal with. Like her bitchy attitude that was stressing him out. He knew sex would lessen the stress, but sometimes it just wasn't worth going through the process to get to the end result, if that made sense. He ordered himself a drink and glanced over at Jimmy and Rosalie, biting his lip hard. And maybe, as much as he hated to think about it, after all these years, he was slightly jealous that Rosalie had kind of just walked in on their circle and stolen Jimmy from them. At least, that's what it felt like sometimes. It was obvious that Jimmy was wholeheartedly devoted to the band, but Rosalie clung to him like a leech and it pissed him off. Jimmy was their best friend, their brother. Not hers. And the fact that she acted as if Jimmy was hers sometimes really added fuel to the fire for him.

---

Sasha raised an eyebrow at Brian's words, biting her lip gently. She was surprised at how he was acting. It was obvious what he was trying to do, she wasn't stupid. But she wasn't going to deny him what he wanted either, even if she knew she was better than that. It had been more than too long since she'd had sex, and he was right here, and he was attractive, and he wanted her too. She was just worried because she knew how she could be when things like this happened. But she was stronger than that now, right? . . . Right. She cleared her throat and smiled at the waitress, ordering herself a drink. She didn't mind that he seemed to be a bit handsy, it actually felt good to be getting all the attention, even if it was just to get in her pants. She sat back in her seat after the waitress took her order, smiling as she listened in on all the conversations going on. These guys seemed really genuine and cool and she enjoyed being around them. She could really get used to working for them.

Rosalie rolled her eyes playfully at Jimmy's comment. It was one of his favorite games to play, seeing which one of them he could get the drunkest. It was usually Johnny, because the bass player could never back down from a challenge, especially when Jimmy was in his ear, calling him a pussy. She took the shot with Jimmy when the bartender placed them down on the counter, wincing slightly as the whiskey burned its way down her throat. The first two or three shots always burned, it was unavoidable. Jimmy flagged the bartender down for another round and Rosalie shoved his arm. "Why don't you go bother somebody else next?" she teased.

"Oh I will," Jimmy assured her, grinning wickedly. "I'll go get Zack to take a few shots with me, see if I can't get him liquored up enough to take you to bed."

Rosalie made a face. "First off, I'm going to ignore the fact that sounded like an insult," she said. She took the second shot and tipped it back before looking back at Jimmy. "Second off, if you can get Zacky drunk enough that he actually tries to talk me into sleeping with him, I'll give you a hundred dollars."

"Deal!" Jimmy exclaimed.

---

Brian settled back into the booth as the waitress went off to fetch their drinks. He draped his arm over Sasha's shoulders like he had in the cab, letting his fingertips brush the exposed skin on her upper arm. It seemed like his nonchalant approach was working quite well, because to him, it seemed like Sasha was very receptive to his advances, even as subtle as they were. It would definitely save him the trouble of finding some random girl, and if all went well, Rosalie wouldn't be the only one taking someone back to the hotel that night. "So who do you think is going to be the victim, er...winner of Jimmy's game tonight?" Brian asked, looking around the table at everyone. His gaze landed on Johnny and he smirked. "My bet is on Short Shit." He chuckled when the younger man whined, telling Brian to go fuck himself. "Well it's always you! You can never back down from Jimmy's challenges. Although..." Brian paused, giving Sasha's shoulders a playful squeeze. "I don't know how well Sasha can hold her liquor. It might be her. I'd like to see what she's like when she's drunk." He whispered this last bit in Sasha's ear, low enough so that only she could hear.

Zacky snorted when Brian called Johnny out, shaking his head. He grinned as the waitress brought their drinks over, picking his up and taking a large swig of it. He sighed contently as it burned down his throat, glancing over at Brian and Sasha. He chuckled, shaking his head. If Brian was trying to be subtle, he was doing an awful job at it. He looked over when Jimmy shouted, raising an eyebrow. "Deal, what?" he asked, curious as to what he and Rosalie were making deals about. Because he had an idea that it had something to do with him. And if it did, he wanted to know what it was. Because it was only fair that if they were making bets on him, that he was in on what it was.

---

Sasha looked at Brian, biting her lip hard when she heard what he said. She put on a smirk. "I can hold my liquor pretty well," she said, picking up her drink when the waitress brought them their drinks. She took a sip and licked over her lips, smiling. She definitely had good taste. She wasn't much of a drinker generally, but if she did happen to go out to a bar or to a party or something, that was when she would drink. And she was pretty good at holding her liquor. She always had been. Her mother had been the same way, apparently. She still had yet to meet her birth parents. She didn't know if they were even dead or alive. Maybe in jail. She sighed at the thought, but pushed it to the back of her mind. Because she wanted to have fun tonight, and not think about the negative things in her life. She figured if Brian was going to be a bit handsy with her, then he shouldn't mind if she was the same with him. So she slid her free hand under the table and rested it on top of his thigh, giving it a small squeeze.

"Were you eavesdropping, Baker?" Jimmy asked. He went over and grabbed Zacky by the elbow and tugged not very gently to his feet, taking him back over to the bar. "Come on, let's go take a few shots."

Rosalie rolled her eyes at the drummer as she went over to sit down at the table. She knew he wouldn't give up on this, even if it was the stupidest, most farfetched idea he'd ever come up with. She probably shouldn't have said she'd give him money, because that would only encourage him even more. But no matter what, nothing would ever happen between her and Zacky. Rosalie couldn't imagine herself being drunk enough to take someone as infuriating as Zacky to bed, let alone put up with him long enough to develop any sort of feelings for him like Jimmy was suddenly convinced she would. He was so condescending and he'd hated her since she'd first met them almost fifteen years ago. He could play it off and say it was because she was a bitch, but she hadn't been like this when she was twelve. Zacky just seemed to think he was so much better than her and Rosalie couldn't stand it.

---

"Well we'll just have to see about that, now won't we?" Brian whispered, matching her smirk. He thanked the waitress when she came back with their drinks, taking a sip of his rum and coke. He heard Zacky laughing at him and he was tempted to flip him the bird, but Brian decided his attention was better focused on Sasha. He felt her hand on his thigh beneath the table and his eyes widened just a bit. She was more brave than he gave her credit for, and it was hard to feel bad about what he was probably going to do to her. But she seemed to have no problem giving him what he wanted, so why should he feel bad in the first place? "Watch your hand sweetheart," Brian whispered to Sasha. "I don't think you know what you're getting yourself into. Then again, if you can handle your liquor as well as you say, I'm sure you can handle me."

Zacky grunted when Jimmy dragged him to the bar, his brows furrowing. "I am not going to be bet on without knowing what the hell-" He grunted, cut short when Jimmy forced alcohol down his throat. He coughed, backing away from the taller man and glaring up at him. "I could have choked on that!" he hissed, wondering what the hell Jimmy's deal was.

"Yeah, well at least it would have made you shut up," Jimmy teased, grinning at Zacky as he handed the guitarist another shot. "Here. Take it."

Zacky huffed, leaning against the bar and taking the shot. He loved Jimmy, he really did, but that didn't mean he didn't get annoyed at him just like the rest of the guys. Jimmy could be a real shit sometimes, especially when it came to Rosalie, but they all still loved him, especially Zacky. Without Jimmy, Zacky probably wouldn't have been in Avenged Sevenfold for too long. But then Jimmy convinced him to stay in the band, and now he was here, living his dream, and he was thankful for it.

---

Sasha smirked at Brian's words, biting her lip hard. "Oh, I can definitely handle you," she whispered back, moving her hand up a bit higher on his thigh. She didn't know where this sudden confidence was coming from, but she liked it. He made her feel like a normal person, as weird as that sounded. Not that she was weird or anything, but she just had never really had a normal life. And this was as close to normal as she had ever felt. And it made her feel good. She took a large swig of her drink and sighed contently, leaning into Brian a bit more. She knew she couldn't let herself get attached. She knew she didn't really mean anything to him, and tonight would probably end up just being a meaningless fuck to him, like every other night. She tried to keep telling herself that, to keep herself from growing any sort of attachment to him.

Rosalie watched Zacky and Jimmy at the bar, snickering when Jimmy forced a shot down Zacky's throat and the guitarist nearly choked on it. Served him right. She wasn't so sure she wanted Zacky drunk, though. He was always meaner when he was drunk, because that was when he seemed to come up with his better insults. But it was pretty funny to watch Jimmy continue to try and force shot after shot on Zacky. A few minutes later, Rosalie stood up and walked over to the bar, wedging in next to Jimmy. "You guys look like you're having tons of fun," she said. She glanced past Jimmy at Zacky and smirked. "Although I think Zacky might have reached his limit on shots for the night," she added. "How many has Jimmy made you take? Three? Four? I know that's pushing it for you."

Rosalie grunted when she felt an elbow in her ribs. "Shut up, Rosie," he hissed to her, obviously not wanting Zacky to hear. "I'm trying to get him drunk. I want my hundred bucks!"

"No matter how hard you try, it's not happening, Jim," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes. She flagged down the bartender, asking for another shot.

---

Brian felt Sasha's hand slide further up his thigh and he smirked to himself. "I like a little confidence in a woman," he whispered to her, letting his lips brush the shell of her ear as he spoke. "I just hope you can put your money where your mouth is later tonight." Brian couldn't wait to get his hands on Sasha. He just hoped she knew that there were absolutely no strings attached with this. He couldn't be as cruel with her as he had with some of the other girls he'd slept with because she was part of the crew, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be honest with her if she got too attached. It certainly wouldn't be the first time. "Let's take a couple of shots," Brian suggested to everyone at the table. When everyone agreed, Brian flagged down a waitress, ordering a round of whiskey. It was a drink that could put a little hair on your chest and he was curious as to how Sasha would handle it. "Let's see if you can handle your alcohol as well as you claim," Brian said to Sasha.

Zacky frowned at them. "Hey, quit whispering," he hissed. "I'm sitting right fucking here." That was another thing he hated. Rosalie always came over and butted in on conversations he was having as if he wasn't even there. And then she'd fucking whisper like she was telling fucking secrets. This wasn't goddamn grade school anymore. He glared at Rosalie, scoffing. "Reached my limit? Are you fucking kidding me? If anyone has reached their limit, it's you. You've reached your limit of bullshit for the night, so you can kindly piss off." He turned back to the bar, taking another shot and slamming the glass down on the surface, glaring off aimlessly at the wall. He wanted nothing more than to slap her silly right now, to scream at her to just get the fuck away from them. Nobody wanted her around. She was only here because Jimmy felt bad for her.

---

Sasha shivered when she felt his lips on her ear, biting her lip hard. She raised an eyebrow when he challenged her, laughing softly as she picked up her shot glass. She closed her eyes and downed the shot, squeezing her eyes shut a bit tighter at the burning in her throat. It felt like tiny little pins and needles burning their way down her throat, and it definitely wasn't the best tasting alcohol there was, but she handled it like a champ. She placed the shot glass down and licked over her lips, clearing her throat. "Not the worst I've ever had," she admitted, remembering a time in school when her friend had brought over this mysterious bottle of alcohol with no label on it. Now that stuff had been absolutely disgusting and she'd even thrown up after it. Whiskey was nothing compared to whatever that stuff had been. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to challenge me, Mr. Haner."

"Jesus Christ, somebody needs to pull their dick out of their ass," Rosalie grumbled. She asked the bartender for another shot and slammed it back, glowering at Zacky. Who did that fucker think he was talking to her like that? She was going to go back to the table after a few minutes but now, just to spite him, she was going to stick around and bother him. She knew he hated having her around even when he was sober, and when he was drunk, it was even worse. She almost wished she could understand why he'd started hating her so much in the first place, but for the life of her she just couldn't remember. It had always been like this, like they'd started hurling insults at each the day they'd met in 1993. "Well since you haven't reached your limit yet, how about another?" Rosalie challenged, looking at Zacky again. "I bet Jimmy will even join us, won't you, Jim?"

"Hell yeah, I will!" Jimmy exclaimed. "You might have just fucked up, Rosie," he added, whispering in her ear. "Might as well hand me a crisp Ben Frank right now."

---

Brian watched Sasha out of the corner of his eye as she took her shot, watched as her eyes squeezed shut as she swallowed the whiskey. He smirked. It was honestly pretty hot to see girls take shots like a champ, because Brian had encountered far too many who couldn't handle it. They wussed out and asked for some fruity blended drink. But Sasha seemed to be telling the truth when she said that she could handle her liquor. Brian smirked again at Sasha's statement. "Maybe I am," he whispered. "The question is, are you going to accept it?" He had to tread a careful line doing something like this. On the one hand he wanted her to have enough to drink that any lingering doubts had disappeared by the time he had her laying underneath him, but at the same time he couldn't in good conscience sleep with her if she was too drunk. "You're the guest, so why don't you choose the next round?" Brian suggested to Sasha. "Pick your poison, sweetheart."

Zacky narrowed his eyes at Rosalie. "Yeah, well somebody needs to pull the cock out of their throat," he snapped back, knowing it made absolutely no sense, but not giving a shit in that moment. He eagerly took another shot along with the two of them, not caring if he would regret this later or if Matt would get pissy with him when he woke up with a hangover. He would probably end up vomiting everywhere, but it would be worth it, to prove a point to Rosalie that he wasn't a pussy. He was a man, a strong man, and he could handle anything life threw at him. Even Rosalie. Life had given him the short end of the stick with that one, and here he was, still making it.

---

Sasha smirked slightly. "I never back down from a challenge," she whispered into his ear, pressing a soft kiss to the tattoo behind it. She didn't want to do anything that would cross the line, or make him uncomfortable, but she figured a small kiss wouldn't bother him too much. He didn't seem to be bothered by her hand that was ever so slightly inching closer an closer to his dick. "How about Bacardi?" she suggested as she pulled away slightly. It was one of her favorite alcoholic drinks, and she hadn't had it in a while. She kind of wanted to get drunk, actually, just to let go of everything. But at the same time, she knew she shouldn't. Not if she planned on sleeping with him, and not if they had a rehearsal tomorrow afternoon. They'd be on the road all day and she'd need to be getting things ready.

"You know, you keep making comments like that like you think it bothers me," Rosalie said, reaching for the next shot the bartender placed in front of her. "But all I glean from it is that I'm getting fucked and you're not. When was the last time you've had your dick in anything besides your hand, anyway?" She shot Zacky a challenging smirk, nudging Jimmy to tell him to order another shot. She knew she would probably regret doing this in the morning, but as long as Zacky kept taking shots, Rosalie would, too. She wouldn't let him beat her, even if it meant winding up in a puddle of her own vomit at the end of the night. She was too proud. When the next shot was placed in front of her, Rosalie held the glass out to Jimmy and Zacky, although she didn't really expect Zacky to clink glasses. But Jimmy did, with so much gusto that he nearly knocked Rosalie's glass from her hand. She glared at him playfully before tipping the glass back, letting the alcohol burn down her esophagus.

---

Brian couldn't help the slight shiver that ran through his body when he felt Sasha's lips on the skin behind his ear. But he hid it well, by shifting slightly in his seat. Now his attention shifted to the hand she had on his thigh and how close it was getting to his dick. He enjoyed it, but he wouldn't enjoy getting a boner in the middle of a crowded bar. With a smirk, Brian reached down and pushed Sasha's hand closer to his knee. "I understand that you're a little anxious, but maybe you should save it for the hotel room," Brian whispered to her. "I'm sure that would be a little more enjoyable, don't you think? And then I can touch you, too." Brian rested his hand on Sasha's thigh, brushing his thumb just under the bottom of her skirt. "It'll be a lot more fun if you wait, I promise." Brian moved away from her, nodding at her suggestion for Bicardi. He was more of a whiskey person, but rum was a close second.