Summary: A 1940s-inspired Joannael fanmix and fanfic. Jo, a college student, meets cute lounge singer Anna, and their friendship turns into something more.
Word Count: 1,482
Characters: Jo, Bela, Anna, Dean, Ash
Pairings: Anna/Jo
Tags: AU, femslash, mentions of drinking
( Run Away )1. Try Your Wings - Blossom Dearie
“If you’ve never been in love, and you’re longing for the happiness it brings, try your wings,” crooned the redheaded female vocalist at the club Jo’s mother owned. Jo sat and watched her dreamily.
“Jo! What are you doing? Come dance with us, Phil is shipping back out tomorrow!” Jo looked up to see her friend Bela beckoning her toward two men in uniform: one for each of them.
“I’ll be there in a moment,” Jo lied. “But I’m not having any booze or anything. I have class tomorrow.”
“Oh, class! Please. It’s admirable how devoted you are to Barnard, Joanna, but we both know you don’t have class tomorrow. Stop being such a cold fish and come bop with us!”
Reluctantly, with one last glance at the singer, Jo got up to do so.
2. Angel Eyes - Ella Fitzgerald
After three different shows where Anna had noticed the pretty blonde watching her, she knew she had to say something. “Here, babydoll,” she said as she slipped a paper into the woman’s hand right before the club closed for the night. “Meet me at this address tomorrow.”
Before Jo could respond, Anna had slipped away into the crowd.
3. Can't Help Falling in Love - Ingrid Michaelson
Anna was glad she’d made the first move. Jo had turned out to be a great friend. They had hung out nearly every other day for a couple of months, as Anna was still singing at Harvelle’s. To Anna, everything Jo said was the most hilarious thing she’d ever heard.
“And then I told him, ‘well, sir, I’m afraid that’s above my pay grade!’” cackled Jo as she finished a story. Anna laughed, but as Jo turned away to grab another drink, the redhead was suddenly thinking about how nice it would be if they kissed.
Maybe more than a great friend, then.
4. Black Bird - Evan Rachel Wood
As time went on, and the two became even closer, Anna couldn’t shake the feeling that this friendship was turning into something more. And she was pretty sure Jo felt it, too. The blonde never had eyes for any of the men home from the war - only for Anna.
“Well, look at you, decked out all fancy!” Jo declared. “Ready to go?”
“Where?” said Anna, glancing self consciously at the dress she’d put on in anticipation of the night. “You still haven’t told me what we’re doing.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise! I think you’ll like our little adventure,” said Jo with a mischievous look in her eye.
Anna needed to tell her soon how she felt.
5. Until the Real Thing Comes Along - Billie Holiday
“So there’s something I have to tell you,” Anna said to Jo the morning after a bender. She had realized it the night before, when they were drunk and dancing together, and now that they were both sober Anna felt it was a good time to share.
“Hmm?” said Jo, still a bit tipsy, as she sipped her tea.
“I love you,” Anna whispered, then, louder, “Jo, I love you.”
Jo got up and walked away.
6. Some Other Time (instrumental) - Bill Evans
“Hey, doll, can I talk to you for a bit?”
“I’m sorry?” Anna’s head jerked up from the cigarette she’d been trying to light.
“Can I talk to you a bit? I have a business opportunity to propose to you.” The man was about half a foot taller than her and had a distrustworthy air about him. “Dean Winchester,” he said, and held out his hand.
“What can I help you with, Winchester?”
“Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go on tour? I’m the publicist for a new band, called Hunter’s, and we would love a vocalist like you.”
An idea started to form in Anna’s mind. “Where would this band be touring? In the New England area, or somewhere else?”
Winchester shook his head. “We’d be touring all around the country. If we got famous, maybe all around the world!”
Anna took the card he was holding out to her. “I’ll think about it.”
7. The Call - Regina Spektor
“Jo? I need to talk to you about something.”
“Sure, Anna, whatever you want!” Jo said, avoiding the redhead’s eyes. Three weeks after Anna had confessed her love to Jo, they were both pretending like it had never happened. It worked remarkably well … except when it didn’t.
“I’ve gotten a job offer, Jo,” said Anna, turning towards the bar. “Hey Ash, get me a beer!” she called to the bartender, feigning nonchalance.
“A job offer? And what would you be doing at this job offer? I was under the impression that you were already working your dream job.” Jo tried to sound casual as well, but failed miserably.
“I’d be doing basically the same job. Only –” she paused for effect – “I’d be touring with a big band!”
Jo raised her eyebrows. “Sounds like the job of a lifetime. You should, ah,” she took a swig of her own beer to keep down the lump in her throat, “you should definitely take it.”
The women both sipped their beer in silence for a couple minutes. “I think I will take that job,” said Anna finally. “I just wanted to see what you thought. And to tell you goodbye, of course. I’m leaving next week.”
8. Run Away - Sarah Jarosz
A month after Anna had left, Jo was still in New York, trying to act like everything was normal. She had gone out with Bela a few times, when asked, but she hadn’t really been interested in doing anything, and her friends had stopped asking. Lovesick, people whispered on campus, supposing that she must have fallen for a soldier who had been shipped back out.
The day that Jo decided she had heard enough whispering, she happened to see a poster while walking up Broadway towards her mother’s bar. Hunter’s Big Band Jazz wants YOU for a back up singer! Will be back in New York to see auditioners soon.
Jo checked the date. It was tomorrow.
9. I Will Go Anywhere With You - Julia Nunes
Showing up to the auditions with nothing prepared and no musical skills to speak of was not a good idea, Jo realized as she saw the line stretching out the door of the theater. Nor was making a grand gesture in a way that Anna might never even see.
But as soon as she had thought it, there was Anna, coming through the line and pulling out people here and there. “Come with me, please,” she asked politely but firmly, and the auditioners, who either knew who Anna Milton was or were just plain intimidated, obeyed.
Then Anna got to Jo and stopped. “Hey, doll,” said Jo weakly. Anna just stared at her, eyebrows raised.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she smiled. “Come with me, please?” she asked, and this time Jo didn’t hesitate.
“Gladly.”
10. In the Mood (instrumental) - Glenn Miller
At first, Anna was worried about having Jo along with her while the band toured. Wouldn’t that mess up Jo’s life at Barnard, something Anna knew Jo had worked hard to get?
Jo assured her that it wouldn’t. She could take correspondence classes, of course, and if all else failed, there was still next semester.
The first hotel they stayed in didn’t want to give Jo a separate room, as she wasn’t actually part of the band. That was fine with the two of them, and they ended up sharing a room.
Well, thought Jo as she looked at the bed the two of them were going to share, it’s now or never.
“So,” began Anna, “are you excited for tomorrow? It’s your first show on the road, and your first time seeing me with the band.”
“I am,” began Jo, “but you know what I’m more excited for?”
“What?”
The only answer was Jo’s mouth on Anna’s.
11. Blue Skies - Ella Fitzgerald
When the tour was over, Jo didn’t want to go back to school. “I’m going to miss you too much,” she told Anna sadly on their last train ride together.
Anna smiled. “I’m not going to ditch you, Jo! We’ll see each other almost every day. I’ll be singing in Harvelle’s again, remember?”
“I know,” said Jo, “but it won’t be the same as being on the road.”
Anna shook her head, remembering the long, hard hours they’d spent touring - in the freezing rain, in places where the last thing people wanted to hear was jazz, in places where women weren’t welcome. “No, it won’t be the same.” She smiled and kissed Jo on the lips. “It’ll be better. From now on out, cookie, it’s going to be blue skies for us.”
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
china_shop , 
