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Male ♂ Jessica Rabbit/Cartoon!Reader - Laugh it Up!
(Jessica - Jesse)

Watch this first! ---> www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu7JVb…
"I'm Your Man" By Michael Buble --> www.youtube.com/watch?v=h07AZF…

The story is dedicated to ~! Thank you for collaborating with me in coming up with ideas for this story!
♥----★----♥
It started off with a simple dream. A dream that seemed out of reach in a place like this. This place was the breeding grounds for what you dreamed of being the most. The competition was thick and only the best of the best were ever worth bringing up. You dreamt of being the laughing stock of the century. Just right up there with the big names like Goofy, Donald Duck, or even the big shot Mickey Mouse. You unfortunately were at a disadvantage though as you were barely the seemingly funny type of cartoon. You were an average looking cartoon, simply human with nothing silly or memorable looking about you. So you had to stick to the only thing you had going for you and that was telling jokes.

You had to start plain and simple with nothing flashy involved. That's how all careers started though, you would need to start at the first step before you climbed up the ladder to success. It was a pain, sure, but if it was what you had to do to be the comedian you wanted to be. You had to start somewhere. You also had another little problem that was not a great quality of a standup comedian. You were plagued with the worst stage fright that anyone in all of Toontown could ever experience. You loved telling jokes and making others laugh but you usually did this when not on stage. Whenever, you would get on stage and all eyes were settled on you, the nerves would bubble up inside and make you freeze on stage in complete fright. You couldn't even begin to count how many times you had been booed off stage for freezing up. Your jokes were even affected as you would suddenly become shy and quiet as a mouse. It only damaged your already fickle self-confidence when you would be banished off stage for your poor performance.

So you were pleasantly surprised that anyone would bother to hire someone as unfunny as you were. Jokes did come naturally for you and you did do well when you weren't in the limelight. Unfortunately, the second you went on stage it all went spiraling down into the toilet. Currently, you were standing in front of the Ink and Paint Club where you had been just hired as their standup comedian. Today was your first day to either make a name for yourself or muck it all up. You were incredibly nervous to say the least as you stared up at the sign of the club. 'Okay, (Y/n)… This is your chance. You better be funny or they'll literally throw you out the window like they did the last club…' You cringed at the thought before taking in a deep breath of air. 'Well, here goes nothing… or everything.' Mustering up the courage from within, you made your way to the entrance door and stepped on inside past the gorilla bouncer who let you through.

You were immediately greeted with the stench of cigarette smoke wafting through the air inside. Cartoons and humans alike were littering the the club all sitting at their respected table or at the stools at the bar. The place was boisterous and defiantly the hotspot to be at right now. You were getting glances from some of the men inside, some of them were curious as others were eating you up like a hunk of meat. You were quite used to these kinds of stares as you've worked in bars before and they usually had these types of folks dwelling around. You tried you're best to ignore it as you began your search to look for your new boss named Mr. Boarton. You knew from the interview that he was a cartoon boar that wore a extravagant green and black pinstripe suit with a fedora with purple feathers. He also smoked a little too much for your preference and snorted a lot when he talked. You weren't seeing him anywhere through the throng of bar goers that packed the place. You were going to start scavenging around for him but your immediate attention was taken away when the red curtains on stage were about to be pulled. The piano player which was a wolf started playing the keys and the band began to pick up right after as the curtains drew open. You were decided you would hunt down your boss once the performance was over that was about to start.

The moment the band started playing you knew instantly that they were playing the song, 'Why Don't you Do Right?'. The curtains lifted up and then displayed a the most gorgeous man you had ever seen in your entire life of living as a cartoon. He was a tall, lean, handsome and sinewy man. He wore a bright sequin cherry red tailsuit that's jacket showed off some of his chest that you were trying unbearably hard not to stare at. He had luxurious red hair that's left side bangs went over his half-lidded sparkling blue eyes. You gulped and felt your face become almost as red as the suit he was wearing. In his purple gloved hands he was holding a microphone that he brought to his mouth to sing along to the music. Your eyes were transfixed on this cartoon man whose voice was deep and just like velvet. He was an extraordinary singer and he was defiantly making the ladies swoon and sigh, including yourself. He gradually walked down the 'T' shaped stage that went out closer to the people like you who were watching him. The way he walked was even seemingly perfect as he swayed with absolute grace, every step had you holding your breath.

Going closer to the stage, you felt like you were on autopilot as you stood in front and just stared up at him. For the briefest moment, you swore your heart dropped inside your stomach as his blue-eyed gaze settled on you. You would had been choking up if you dared tried to speak. His lips made the faintest of smiles and he even winked in your direction. Saying your legs felt like jello was an understatement of the century. Shivers went down your spine as he took steps towards you as he sung. The other ladies in the club watched on with glares of envy as he knelt down and brought out his hand and brushed his fingers gently under your chin. You leaned into his touch and could only say you felt like you had fallen in love at first sight from the intense attraction you felt towards the man whose name you didn't even know.

It seemed almost too soon when the song came to it's end and you were left taken back by such a specimen of a man. He waved his hand farewell as he turned away from the crowd before heading back behind the curtains that closed behind him. Never in your life had you been that immersed in a performance before. Everything he did captured you in an almost hypnotic way. It was then you aspired to be just like him on stage. Even if he wasn't a comedian his stage presence alone could move a crowd to his whim. He could have the crowd barking like a dog if that's what he wished. Nothing could compare to the performance you had just witnessed, and by some means, you were determined to meet that man. He must work here at the club as a singer, which meant more time for you to see him, maybe even meet him. Oh, how badly you wanted to meet him! Feeling refreshened after such an extraordinary show, you forgot completely what you were actually here to do. You shook your head and remembered after a few moments of being distracted. You were here to find your boss Mr. Boarton!

Looking around again, you still didn't see him around. You determined that he must be behind the scenes in the back. So you looked for any door that was not the entrance or the bathrooms and made your ways towards it. It said 'employees only' which was a good indicator that you found the correct door. Opening it up, you went inside and found yourself in a hallway that had many more doors on each sides. Reading the doors off from the labels they had, you searched for his office. Only instead you were so busy looking at the labels on the doors you weren't paying attention to where you were going. Colliding right into someone, you made a high pitched yelp and went falling backwards but before you hit the ground someone grabbed your arm securely. You were pulled back up before you hit the ground before coming face to face with the singer from before. Your face instantaneously went scarlett red as you saw him looking back at you a little surprised.

"Oh, are you alright, darling?" He asked you with concern.

Your eyes were wide and your heart was pacing a million miles per hour. "I-I… I- … Thank you."

He let go of your arm and looked you up and down as if he were examining you before giving you a smile. "You're quite welcome. You almost took quite the tumble. You are the same girl I saw back when I was performing. What are you doing back here?" He asked you curiously. You tried not to pathetically stare so bluntly at him (which was an easy thing to do). You smiled nervously and gave out a equally nervous laugh.

"O-oh, I was just looking for Mr. Boarton. Uhm y-you see I was just employed here a few days ago. Today is my first day here at the club." You explained to him while anxiously rubbing the back of your neck. His eyes lit up with recognition and he soon nodded in return.

"Oh right, I heard from him that someone new was coming aboard. I didn't quite expect it to be such a fine lovely young lady like yourself though." He smiled in a way that seemed flirtatious which only made your blushing fit become worse.

"A-ah… y-yes…"

He chuckled at your cute and shy demeanor while he placed his hands onto his hips and kept smiling at you, "Mr. Boarton is just a few more doors down. You can't miss him, trust me on that." He rolled his eyes and continued, "I'm sure he's looking for you now. I don't want to keep you too long as I'm sure you want to go see him. But I can't help but wonder what you will be doing here in this little ol' place."

You smiled at this as you were always excited to tell others what you did for a living as it was your dream, "I'm a standup comedian! I've worked in many other clubs before this. I just so happened to find myself here now."

His blue eyes lit up again and his perfect white smile seemed to widen at this. "A comedian, you say?" He said while he brought a hand to his chest, "I just 'love' comedians. There's nothing I love more than a good laugh." He told you which made you grin.

"Really?!"

"Of course, they do say there is no better medicine than that of laughter. I look forward to hearing you when you perform. This place sure needs a good comedian to lighten the place up a little." He said and flipped his bang, "By the way, I'm Jesse. I work here as a singer which I'm sure you know. What did you think of my singing, darling?"

"OH, you were phenomenal! I can't believe you're just a club singer! You could really be something big!"

"You think so? Well, that's mighty sweet of you." He smiled and reached out and placed a hand on your right cheek. You were panicking inside because you knew that you were blushing and he was certainly going to feel the warmness from it. He doesn't seem to be bothered by the fact you were so obviously blushing, if anything, he seemed completely familiar to it. It probably wasn't the first time he made a woman a blushing mess in front of him. "I can tell you are something big too. I can't wait." Patting your cheek a few times affectionally, he lets go and steps out of your way. "But please don't let me keep you any longer. Go on ahead, darling, but before you go I would like your name."

You tensed up and chuckled nervously again before responding, "My name is (Y/n) (L/n). It's been a pleasure meeting you Jesse."

"The pleasure is all mine. I hope to see you soon, (Y/n). Buh-bye now." You expected Jesse to walk off right away but instead he shocks you when he leans in and places a kiss on your cheek before walking away from you. You froze on the spot and your hand immediately made contact with your cheek from where he had kissed you. You didn't think you could possibly blush any harder than you already were. Every part of you was feeling warm all over, you swore you would be glowing a bright red. Glancing over your shoulder, you see that he was gone from sight just like that. You yearned to see more of him and were certainly looking forward to speaking to him again. He seemed like a genuinely kind person that just so happened to look like he was drawn by the gods themselves.

"Wow, what a guy…" You mumbled to yourself before regaining your composure and finally heading back down the hall to find Mr. Boarton's office. It was just a few doors down like Jesse had said it was. You stood there in front and stared at the label that read "Mr. Boarton's office". Taking a deep breath of air, you lifted your hand to knock on the door. Tapping on the door a few times, you were immediately greeted with the sounds of snorting from inside. You knew for sure Mr. Boarton was inside his office.

"Come in!" He called out in an irritable voice.

You reached out and opened the door slowly before peeking in and almost choking on the cigarette smoke that was in the air. Mr. Boarton was sitting at his desk with his feet propped up on the table as he leaned back on his chair. His beady eyes looked over at you as you stepped on inside and closed the door behind you. "Eh, it's you. About time you showed up." He said while blowing out a puff of smoke from his nostrils. You stood in front of him and placed a hand on your arm as you stared at him. "Your act will be up later this evening at eight o'clock. You better be absolutely hysterical. I want the whole room holding their sides and laughing up a lung, ya hear?"

You nodded your head with a nervous smile, "Of course! I'll knock em' dead."

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. Ya know, dead to sleep?" He snorted loudly and put his feet back down from the table. "I got a tough crowd. They only laugh if you're actually funny. I hired you only cuz' my last guy got torn to shreds, literally. You better not be the same or you're gonna' force me to have to find someone else. That's a real pain, ya know? Even in a place like Toontown."

"I won't let you down, Mr. Boarton. I promise," You said even though part of you was anxious at the thought of just being on stage in front of everyone's judging eyes. You knew you couldn't foul up this performance or you might be fired on the same day as your arrival. Mr. Boarton appeared to be distrustful towards you. He tapped his cigarette making the ashes fly before speaking up again.

"Yeah, we'll see about that. Have you met my man Jesse yet?"

Your eyes lit up from his name alone and you nodded vigorously, "Oh yes, I have! He is an extraordinary man!"

Boarton simply nods back, "He's my best singer in this entire club. I recommend you take notes, singer or not."

"I certainly will!" You agreed, not having any issue with 'taking notes' as he said since Jesse already inspired you from the moment you saw him on stage.

"Tch, good. Now get your ass out there and help setup for Jesse's next performance. Might as well make some good use of you until your stinkin' show. Are you capable of doing that?" He rose an eyebrow at you skeptically. You despised the idea of having to be the one to setup when that was certainly not in your job description, but if it helped Jesse then you wouldn't complain… not yet, anyways. You weakly smiled and made a nod in his direction.

"Um, I can do that, sir. Sure…" You spoke with less enthusiasm as before. He didn't seem to care whether it bothered you or not not as he blandly nodded and began shooing you away with his hand or rather hove.

"Then get out of my face, kid. I got important work to be done unlike you." He snorted again, it took you no time to leave his office with a heavy feeling in your chest. Your boss barely seemed to like you very much. He seemed the same way when you had first met him for the interview. He must have had been very desperate for a comedian to hire you when he obviously thought you as low as trash. Sighing heavily to yourself, you went to head to the back of the curtain to help the other employees set up Jesse's next performance.

♥----★----♥

The day felt like it was dragging on forever. It seemed like a lifetime until you got Jesse's setup ready for him to go out and sing his heart out. It was practically the only thing fueling you to keep dealing with this menial backbreaking task. You shouldn't have been the one to be out here doing the janitor's work. You should be out there making the crowd laughing until their socks fell off! This was almost demeaning. You were finishing up when you almost jumped up ten feet in the air when someone put a hand on your shoulder from behind. You yelped girlishly and spun around to see Jesse standing there. He chuckled at your rather dramatic reaction to his sudden touch that had startled you as much as it did. "My, my what are you doing out here, (Y/n)? Shouldn't you be preparing to preform for your show?"

You heart should have had calmed down at the sight of him but it only beat much faster than before. His laugh was none other than charming, it sounded like the chime of bells, soft and beautiful. Your face automatically went red and you felt like a stuttering fool in front of him. "I-I… I think I should b-but I'm not," You tell him which makes him tilt his head questionably.

"Why not, darling?"

"M-Mr Boarton w-wanted me to- to setup for your performance." You said, while mentally cursing yourself for sounding like such a shy idiot. His lips pursed into a frown that looked more like a sexy pout.

"Now why would Mr. Boarton have you working on my show? You should be working on your own. That's hardly fair." He remarked, "Here doll, let me talk to Boarton. You shouldn't be doing this for me but I do appreciate what you have done so far. Everything looks marvelous." Jesse complimented and then reached out and placed a soft hand onto your shoulder, "Are you okay? You're looking not so good."

"N-No! I'm fine! I mean… Thank you but I'm okay. Y-you don't have to talk to Mr. Boarton. I'm sure he's just challenging me since it's my first day here." You tried to reassure Jesse, who still didn't seem too confident by your words. He rubs your shoulder softly before letting go with a sympathetic look on his face.

"Well, darling. I still think I might have a few words with him. Now, if you ever need something just say something to me, okay?" Jesse smiles at you and glances in some annoyance behind shoulder at Mr. Boarton who just showed up and was urging him to get going. "I'll always be here if you need me, (Y/n). Us performers need to stick together, after all. I can't wait to see your show this evening. I can tell you're a real funny gal." Jesse waves you a goodbye before heading on over to Mr. Boarton, who was standing there impatiently for the red-head to come over.

You heart was hammering inside your chest, especially since Jesse seemed very on-hands with you. Was he that way with everyone? You shrugged it off as being nothing and prepared to have Jesse perform. A little later, you went down at a table nearby the front stage. You waited for Jesse's next performance. You noticed your boss at the corner of the room watching you like a hawk as he puffed on his cigarette. You gulped and kept your eyes on the stage until the music started to play a song called "I'm Your Man" (by Michael Buble). The way he strutted down the stage and sang with such grandeur it kept you breathless. How did he do it? You had no idea but the way he sang so coolly, the way he walked so flawlessly, the way he could spare you a single glance put you into a memorized stupor. He was a true classy man with a defined talent in what he did, and he knew it better than anyone else in this entire club. You wish you had confidence like that. The type of confidence that just glowed and shined brightly like a blazing fire from within. You sighed longingly as you had your chin resting on the palm of your hand as you watched him do his thing. Every gal in the Paint and Ink Club was under his unbreakable spell that was made by every small movement he made. He strutted down the stage and onto the show floor and were making the ladies swoon from his mere close proximity. His azure blue eyes shifted over to you and he made his way over to your table. He jumped up taking a seat on the table right next to you as he continued to sing. Your (e/c) eyes were wide as you stared up at him and he glanced down at you. The spark between each of your eyes ignited something inside that made you yearn for something deeper, more intimate. You thought you were the only one who felt it, obviously this was his game. He did this with every simple woman who was easy to snatch up into his clutches. But you didn't mind, he played his game well, too well.

"Because I'm your man~" He sang as he inclined closer and ran a single hand through your (h/l) (h/c) hair, tucking it behind your ear, before pulling away. Every part of you was feel an acute level of feelings beyond your comprehension. To say you didn't have a terrible attraction to Jesse would be the most ridiculous lie of the century. You watched him go back on stage and as soon as the song was over, he retreated back behind the scarlet curtains. They closed behind him and there left behind him was a roar of applause and wolf-whistles that followed after.

"He's quite a guy isn't he?" A masculine voice suddenly startled you from your trance that you were left in. You swiftly turn your head around to see a hybrid cartoon of a man and a peacock smiling goofily at you. He wasn't a terrible looking man as he had more of the appearance of a man than a peacock. He had the beautiful peacock tail and head feathers but for the most part he looked quite human.

"Who are you?" You question the peacock man dressed in a charming dark green vest and black slacks, who also had slicked back emerald green hair. He grinned charmingly and ran a hand through his hair.

"My name is Andre Peacock. What's a pretty girl like you sitting here all by yourself?"

You blushed at the fact he called you pretty, which wasn't a typical compliment you received. You smiled a shy soft smile back at him and replied,

"I'm just watching Jesse until it is my turn for my performance." You told him which seemed to greatly interest him. He stepped over to stand in front of you as he leaned on the table with one arm.

"Your performance? Are you new here, chicky?"

You lowered your gaze to stare at the table from his penetrating bright bluish green eyes that seemed to look right into your soul. You fiddled with your hands under the table you were sitting at. "Yes, actually. This is my first day here. I'm a standup comedian."

His eyebrows rose and his mouth fell slightly agape. "A comedian!? Wow, we certainly need one of those around here! This place can get kind of drab. The only thing worth watching anymore other than Jesse is Donald and Daffy's constant fighting on stage. And believe me, even that gets REAL old, real quick. The crowd gets tired of it. Last guy we had as a comedian here was torn to shreds by the crowd, literally. I got a feeling you'll be luckier though. I got good vibes coming from you, chicky." He winked flirtatiously at you with made your face flush with a blush.

"I-I hope you're right. I'd rather not be torn to shreds by the audience. Uh, I'm (Y/n) (L/n) by the way… What do you do here?" You asked the suave peacock man who was leaning up on the table very closely towards you.

He smirked and jabbed a thumb back over at the bar, "Pretty name. I work as the bartender here. I've been here longer than dirt. I know this place from in and out, to left to right. If you want any kind of bit of gossip or whatever. I'm your man."

"Oh, well, I'll take that into account then." You said before noticing Mr. Boarton stomping up over to you with a nasty irritable look on his face.

"Hey, bimbo! Get your ass up there on stage. It's your turn. Don't muck it up, ya hear?" He yanked his hove back and pointed back at the stage that was currently unoccupied. You could tell the audience was getting restless as they were becoming more boisterous by the second. Some of then were even demanding Jesse to be brought back up onto the stage. You instantaneously felt the sudden choking feeling bubble up in the pit of your stomach. It was the same feeling you got whenever you were supposed to go on stage. Not wanting to upset your boss on your first day, you waved Andre a quick goodbye, and quickly went backstage to get ready.

Using the old comedian's dressing room, you made yourself up to the best of your abilities without looking too over done. You were meant not make them laugh not drool over you like they did Jesse. Not that you believed you could be attractive to the audience, anyways. Taking in many deep breathes, you tried to steady yourself. You even told some jokes into the mirror which seemed to come out alright, but you knew the second you went out on stage it would be a whole different ballgame. 'You do this, (Y/n). You can't mess this up. How can you be a comedian if you can't even show yourself on stage!?' You thought miserably to yourself as you stared into your reflection in the mirror. It wasn't until you heard knocking on your door when you called out for them to come in.

You were expecting an irate Mr. Boarton to be standing there but instead you see Jesse. You gawk over at him with surprise as he comes over and brings you into a hug that you were so not prepared for. "Oh, (Y/n)! I know you're going to do so well out there!" He exclaimed. Your face was beet red as you could feel your face smashed against his muscular chest that smelled heavily of crisp nice smelling cologne. Why did everything about him have to be so perfect? When he let go, you swore you could have just fallen to the ground into a puddle of mush. He beamed at you with radiating encouragement, "Are you ready? I cannot wait to watch you perform!"

You tried to pull yourself from your daze as you nodded dumbly back at him. "O-Of course, I'm ready as ready can be!" You said, even though part of you was mocking yourself at the fact that you knew you were as scared as a kitten to go perform in front of everyone. He grinned and even chuckled that laugh that made your heart flutter.

"Then I'll see you on stage! Break a leg, darling!" Jesse drove your emotions mad as he placed another kiss onto your cheek. You were a blushing mess yet once again as he left with a smile gracing his face. Now you felt even more compelled to do a decent job on stage. Jesse would be watching and if you failed then he would probably think you were a loser. 'I gotta do this! Even if it is just to impress Jesse!' You thought with determination as you turned to look back at yourself in the mirror. You took another intake of breath and then made your ways out of the dressing room to go backstage behind the curtains.

The moment you stepped on stage, everything seemed to come undone. You found it hard to breathe and all your jokes that you had planned were jumbling around in your brain in disarray. The curtains hadn't even pulled away to reveal you're pitiful self to the crowd. You were physically shaking as you went to grab the microphone on the stand. You heard them announcing your name and your act outside the curtains. Within seconds, the curtain drew away and it was just you and your lonely microphone that was in your hand. Every eye from the crowd was on you and right at the front of the stage was, of course, Jesse sitting there and watching. Your eyes settled on Jesse who gave you a smile of encouragement to go on with the show. But it wasn't enough to break you free from the chains of intimidation. You were locked down tight and frozen on the spot. Even speaking your name would be an effort it would seem, but you had to make it through, you must do it! Forcing a timorous smile to the audience, you opened your mouth to speak and only dreaded when squeaks came out. It made the audience lowly chuckle in a way you weren't prepared for them to laugh at. Pulling at the collar of your clothes anxiously, you had just enough nerve to get your name out.

"H-h-hello, my name is (Y/n) (L/n)… U-um… I'm here from Toontown and u-uhm it's a pleasure to b-be here … up here, I mean. Here up here on stage in front of y-you all tonight… this night tonight… up here…tonight…With you all-" The crowd was already getting bored with you, you could tell by the looks people were making. Jesse was tilting his head and examining you carefully, you could tell he was in deep thought of over something. He was probably thinking how much of an fool you appeared to be up on stage, stuttering and talking as quietly as a squeaky little mouse. This is exactly what you didn't want to happen to you. "So um how's the weather, folks? Heh, glad you all could make it here t-tonight. I heard it was raining buckets outside. It's almost as bad as 'hailing' taxi's am I right!?" You chuckled nervously at your own lame joke that the crowd responded with total silence, other than the cartoon crickets in the bar that began chirping noisily.

You tried focusing your eyes on Jesse, you didn't know if that was making it worse or helping your nerves. His smile was strained but he still seemed to have it there for encouragement purposes. You tugged at you collar again and tried to think of something else to get the crowd going. "Er, well, anyways, I don't know about you guys but it's g-getting really hot in here! Um, it's almost so hot the cows are giving evaporated milk, the chickens are laying hard-boiled eggs! I saw a dog chasing a cat and both were walking! Hot water now comes out of both taps! The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground!-"

"What the?! Birds using potholders? How the hell is that funny!? BOOOO!"

You froze again as a human man stood up and started booing. It took no longer than two seconds for the rest of the crowd to start booing also. You cringed and started stumbling backwards on stage as the penguin waiters began charging the crowd a dollar for tomatoes. People were actually paying for the tomatoes to begin tossing at you as they hissed and continued to boo at you. Jesse's face fell appalled as the people around him were throwing tomatoes at you that were pelting you from left to right. You put your hands up in the air in front of your face to try and block the tomatoes from hitting your face. You felt tears blur your vision as the audience kept hurling insults that were unfortunately funnier than any joke you just uttered from your mouth.

Jesse glared the audience around him and then looked back at you sympathetically as Boarton came off on to the side and took out a giant cane that grabbed you and pulled you off stage. You were absolutely covered with tomatoes once you were out of the heavy fire from on stage. Mr. Boarton was looking furiously at you, "What kind of damn filthy trash were you playing out there to my guests!? THAT REEKED! What kind of comedian do you think you are!? I should have you thrown out to the curb for that performance! I actually got paid more in tomato costs than your stinkin act!" He hollered in your face, the smell of cigarette smoke was putridly wafting in your air space. You were still in tears while you were trying to wipe off tomatoes from yourself. Mr. Boarton growled and snapped his cigarette in half, "GIVE ME ONE REASON WHY I SHOULDN'T FIRE YOU!"

"P-please don't fire me, M-Mr. Boarton! I-I just wasn't prepared! Please, you must give me another chance! I promise it'll be different next time!" You desperately pleaded to the boar whose deep glare was heavily set on you.

"DIFFERENT!? WHAT'S NEXT!? JOKES ABOUT THE AIR CONDITIONER!? I mean come on weather jokes!? You disgust me!" He took his broken cigarette and threw it at you which made you cringe again.

"P-p-please! I'll do anything! Just give me one more chance, sir!"

"I'll show you one more chance! You blow it one more time and I'll personally have the bouncer come and escort you to the curb where your ass belongs! Then maybe the homeless bums can laugh at your pitiful excuse of what you call jokes! And you call yourself a Toon! Unbelievable!" He rose his arms in the air in exasperation before pointing back at you threateningly, "You get one more chance, bimbo! You better be damn lucky I'm such a generous boar! That act made me want to puke!" Scoffing loudly, he sharply turned away from you and stormed away from you, leaving you there with a head hung low in despair.

"Good job, (Y/n)… You ruined it… again…" You murmured to yourself and brought your hands to your face. You were humiliated on how awfully you did back up there. Even you knew the jokes were god-awful but the nerves took over and everything went down south from there. Trying to still wipe tomato gunk off of yourself, you began walking to your dressing room but were stopped by someone.

"(Y/n)!" The familiar voice of Andre Peacock said as he came over to your side with a look of concern. "Oh my, oh my, that didn't go over well. What happened up there?" He asked with a soothing voice as he led you to the side to talk.

You flicked a tomato from your hair and shook your head dejectedly, "I bombed is what happened." You murmured.

"You looked really tense up there! You didn't deserve that treatment you got! You poor thing!" Andre reached down into his pocket and pulled out a rag that he began helping you wipe off the remains of the tomatoes that had hit you. Tears were still running down your cheeks and Andre reached out and wiped a tear from your cheek. "Don't cry, (Y/n)! Mr. Boarton overreacts when shows don't go his way. I'm sure, it was just your nerves that got that better of you," He said with a small sad smile.

You nodded and were thankful that Andre was being so kind towards you. Jesse probably didn't want to be seen with you now that your show was a debacle. Andre continued to help you get cleaned off until you weren't completely covered with tomatoes. "Boarton said he'd fire me if I do a performance like that again. I guess, I can't blame him. It was a total flop. I g-got scared… It happens every time I'm on stage."

Andre looked you on with sympathy and ran a hand through his head feathers and hair, "Being scared to perform is perfectly natural, especially on your first night of being up there. It's a tough crowd, especially in a place like Toontown where hilarity is expected of Toons."

"What she needs is self-confidence." A sultry voice suddenly spoke up which made Andre and you both turn to look over and see Jesse. He walked over to you and had a soft sad frown on his lips. "It's okay, darling. Don't you ever listen to those cruel insults that were thrown at you. You just have a bad case of stage fright is all." Jesse said as he stood in front of you and ran a hand through your hair comfortingly. Andre nodded in agreement and watched as Jesse leaned in and brought you into a hug even though you still had a couple of tomatoes still on you. "I still believe you're funny, doll. Don't let the crowd or Mr. Boarton make you think otherwise." You felt like breaking up in tears again as Jesse held you. Instead, of chickening out, you reciprocated the hug and embraced him back tightly. He laid his chin on your head and rocked you back and forth soothingly. Andre stood off to the side and kept looking you on with concern for your wellbeing. You were glad to have two friends that cared so much about you even though you hadn't known them very long. You felt like you knew them forever.

"T-thank you, Jesse and Andre. I-It really means a lot to me." You said sincerely, while you kept hugging Jesse, which was seemingly becoming a long time for a "friendly" hug. Andre cleared his throat which was what got Jesse to let go of you after a good while. Both of them smiled warmly at you which made you feel much better.

"You're welcome, (Y/n)." Jesse said, before bringing a hand to his chin thoughtfully, "You know, darling. I think I could help you with your stage presence. I've been doing this for awhile now so I know what the people like to see and hear. If you let me help you, I'm sure you'll have that crowd howling in laughter." Jesse offered which made you look surprised.

"R-really?"

"Of course, I'm sure Andre wouldn't mind to help a little either." Jesse said, while glancing over at Andre who nodded agreeably.

"Yeah! With the two of us you'll have them laughing in no time." Andre encouraged with a grin.

You finally weren't crying anymore and instead you were smiling graciously at the two of them. "Thank you, thank you so much! For as long as I can remember stage fright is what has gotten me kicked from every club I've ever worked at. But I promise, I can be funny! I-I just get so tongue-tied and scatterbrained when I get in front of everyone. I don't know why."

"You just need to own the stage, (Y/n). You can't let the crowd take over or they'll eat you alive. With just enough self-confidence, I know you'll do great. I saw greatness in you the moment I saw you, doll." Jesse lend you a smile that made your insides flutter. He had such a way with words, and to top it off, he was also a genuinely good-hearted person. What was there not to like about Jesse?

You grinned at the two of them and made a determined nod, "I'll accept your help then!"

"That's wonderful. You'll do just fine, I know it." Jesse said as he went back up to you and patted the top of your head affectionately. Andre and you watched as Jesse soon walked off, leaving you and Andre alone together. When he left, you sighed and looked over at Andre.

"He's so…" You started to say breathlessly. "Perfect…"

Andre's smile was more vague as he nodded but didn't say anything in return to your adulation. Instead, he went over and brought his arm around your shoulder and began walking you towards your dressing room. "Let's get the rest of you cleaned up, shall we?"

You agreed and went with him with a new hope now dawning inside of you, now that you had two friends that had your back. Certainly, now you would earn the newfound confidence you would need to really put on a show and knock em' off their feet.

♥----★----♥

Three weeks goes by and Jesse and Andre Peacock both do their best to boost your confidence to put on a good show. Thankfully, Mr. Boarton literally hated your performance so much that he said he wouldn't let you back on until you felt ready. Jesse would have personal times where he would take you on stage when the lounge was empty so he could teach you. Andre most of the time acted as the single member of the audience who judged how you did and very slowly you were doing better. You only thought you were doing better though because you were amongst friends rather than judging strangers. You were even capable of making Jesse laugh quite a few times, which made you feel like you were on top of the world. You loved to hear Jesse laugh, it was true when he said that he loved nothing more than to have a good laugh. You made sure to give him that whenever you could.

Jesse and you seemed to just get along better than anyone else you've ever met. Andre was friendly too but you just didn't share the same connection you had with him that you had with Jesse. You yearned for every time you would have the chance to be around Jesse. You were even beginning to believe that Jesse really liked you back. He was, after all, very touchy with you, even more than when you first met. He would hug you for long amounts of time and touch you a lot, whether it be a simple tussle of the hair or a sensual caress of the cheek. You enjoyed the affection that Jesse showered on you, you were almost afraid that your attraction towards him had even turned into a little more than it should. You couldn't deny the fact that you were beginning to seriously care about Jesse even during the short three weeks that you've known each other. He felt like that missing puzzle piece that had been missing for so long, that has finally found it's way back into it's place; he just fit flawlessly.

So it wasn't until one day when Jesse just got off from performing when you noticed Jesse was getting rather close to another person. It was silly of you to instantly become jealous since Jesse was not yours to claim to begin with. But it hurt to see him embracing another woman that seemed unable to keep her hands off of him. You hung at the bar with Andre who was cleaning a glass with a clean rag. He and you were watching as Jesse was laughing, conversing, and hugging this strange woman that was driving you up the wall.

Andre clicked his tongue and shook his head at the sight. You couldn't stop glaring over at them like the jealous person that you were apparently being. "If looks could kill, chicky." Andre said as he glanced over at you, who was silently fuming. You tore your eyes away with a scowl once you saw the woman lay a hand on Jesse's backside. You didn't mean to glare at Andre but you were pretty upset.

"What are you talking about, Andre?" You remarked with obvious annoyance.

"Whoa now, don't shoot me the death glares. I ain't the one causing that little fling to happen over there." Andre said, as your eyes soften just a bit from feeling guilty for glaring your friend. "You got it pretty damn bad for Jesse, eh?"

"Huh?"

Andre chuckled and shook his head as he set the glass he had been cleaning to the side. He leans up against the bar counter towards you and speaks up, "Don't act all naive on me, pretty. It sure isn't the first time I've seen someone fall head over heels for Jesse over there. That guy's like a chick magnet. You sure aren't the first one to go gaga over him. It's too bad though. Jesse ain't one for commitment." Andre told you which made your heart sink.

"Is it that obvious I like him?"

"It's as obvious as Mr. Boarton's temperament issues, which is pretty damn obvious. But chicky, let me warn you now. Jesse there has been playing this game of hearts for almost as long as I've been working here. Don't let yourself fall in too deep. You're just gonna get yourself hurt."

You furrowed your brows towards Andre and shook your head defiantly, "But he treats me differently. He's well… more touchy around me then I've seen with other girls and he treats me better."

"Really now? Then why is he over there embracing and trifling with that other gal over there? Listen, (Y/n)… Jesse does this with every girl. You're no exception. Don't be like all those other floozies who fall for his charms. He might seem like a nice guy, and for the most part he is, but Jesse will break your heart in seconds when it comes to romance. The guy's too much of a two-timer. He loves the attention and he certainly isn't looking to settle down now or ever."

You let Andre's words sink in as you let your eyes gaze back over at Jesse who now had the girl sitting in his lap and giggling. You lowered your head and felt a wave of depression wash over you. Perhaps, Andre was right, maybe Jesse was too into his rendezvous with other women to ever notice someone as plain as you. Even if he did notice, he would never settle for you. Your heart felt like a weight was suddenly tugging it down. You trailed your eyes back at Andre who placed his hands on his hips and sighed.

"Don't look so down in the dumps, chicky. I'm sure they'll be some other guy that'll sweep you off your feet. Jesse just isn't going to settle. You don't want to hurt yourself and I certainly don't want to see you hurt either." Andre said, as he watched as Jesse glanced over at you and Andre for just the slightest moment. You didn't notice though since you laid your head down on the bar counter and were sulking. Andre rubbed the back of his neck and made a long drawn out sigh. "(Y/n), I can't stand seeing you moping around like this. It's unsettling for a woman, especially in my presence. How about I ease your troubles a bit, hmm?" You looked up at Andre with a confused expression as he went to the side of the bar to grab something from the cupboard.

You kept your eyes on him until he grabbed a large unlabeled bottle that had a violet sheen. He placed it in front of you and smiled softly down at you, "Here this is on the house. It is a special drink of my own creation. I don't usually give this to the public unless I really think they need a pick-me-up."

You instantly grimaced and shook your head, "But I don't drink-"

"Don't give me that song and dance, pretty. You need to chill down a little. I promise this will help. Just have one glass and I promise you'll feel better. Come on, it's on me!" He insisted as he took a small glass and began to pour the lilac colored liquid into the glass. You stared at him and now felt rude to decline when he was only trying to be helpful. What could one glass do, anyways? You typically didn't drink but you supposed for this occasion you would. As long, as it made you feel better, you didn't mind. Your thoughts were clouded with Jesse and you just wanted to stop thinking about him for a bit. You stared at Andre for a moment before sighing and taking the glass into your hand. "That's a girl! It even tastes really sweet! You'll hardly even know it has alcohol in it!" You took one more frustrated glare over at Jesse and the woman he was with before taking a swig of the drink that Andre had given you. It tasted sweet just like he had said, almost like a grape flavor but not quite. You continued to drink the glass while Andre watched you with a smile. "How is it, pretty?"

"It's… It's good actually." You nodded and took another sip. He grinned brightly and let out a chuckle.

"I'm glad you like it! Let's say it's a special family blend! Make sure to drink all it! The stuff is kinda pricey." You certainly didn't want to waste expensive booze that Andre so kindly gave you for free. You drank it until every last drop was gone. Andre laid his elbow down on the counter and placed his chin on the palm of his hand and watched you. You could already feel the effects of it wear down on you. It made you feel sorta sleepy but it did help with your badgering thoughts of Jesse. You kept your head lying down on your arms as you felt your eyes get heavier and heavier.
The smirking face of Andre was the last thing you remembered until you fell asleep.

Part 2 --->miyuxthenobody.deviantart.com/…