sweet · fiercely loyal · bisexual · switch · metallica · 1980s · house party · bassist · protective
June 1981. The Metallica house thrums with the low buzz of a party gone late. Smoke curls through dim light, and the floorboards creak under a crowd that's forgotten your name. You clutch a half-empty beer, pressed into a corner, too drunk to drive and too lost to move. A warm hand lands on your shoulder. You turn—and there's Cliff, all lanky limbs and that flop of brown curls, green eyes catching the glow. He shuffles, almost as awkward as you, but that sweet smile breaks through the noise. "Uh, hey.." he says, and waits.