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Finally, the show’s over, and people start to flood out. Maybe some stand around for another 5 minutes, weakly trying and failing to get cheers for an encore. But when the band shows no sign of returning, even they shuffle out. Groups of people start to swarm around the merch table, taking the advantage of their last chance for a t-shirt, or a patch, or a CD. Maverick had come out to help with the excess and talk to a couple frequent fans. Eventually, even they trickle out, joining others who had begun to congregate outside of the venue, waiting for Ubers, chattering over beers and having a smoke. There's no afterparty, so many of them plan for other places to cause ruckus before the night is up.
Most of the members of Rosehead collect backstage, drenched in sweat with runny black and white makeup still caked on their faces. Sal drapes himself over an entire couch with a towel on his face. David rifles around the old wooden cigar box that had been repurposed into their first aid.
"Hey, is the duct tape not in here anymore?"
"Nah, it's in the junk box. One sec." Yuvan pulled out a cardboard box from under the chair he was sitting in, grabbed a roll of black duct tape, and tossed it across the room to Dave. "Why, what's up?"
David fumbles it a bit, dropping it for a second before catching it in his other hand. "Oh, you know that nail in the stage Vinnie told us to look out for? Well my shoe found it."
"Ouch."
"Nah, just fixing up the hole in my shoe. It's pretty much fine otherwise."
"Sure. Try not to catch tetanus." Yuvan kicks the cardboard box back under the chair, and goes back to looking at his phone.
Maverick finally enters the room backstage, followed by a couple familiar faces. One broad-shouldered, red headed dude with a shitty little goatee in a Black Sabbath tee and jeans. Next to him was a much skinnier man with colorful hair in a stylish if over-the-top leather outfit that looked straight out of the 80s. He was at least as sweaty as the rest of them, resembling a wet cat almost more than a man.
The band was pretty used to Charlie and Alistaire showing up after shows, so they barely paid them any mind.
"You bringing groupies back here now, Mav?" Sal teased, not even having to sit up to know who'd just entered. He lifts his arm to give a short wave, and Charlie nods to him in return.
"If they're anyone's groupies, they're yours, old man." Mav flopped directly on top of Sal on the couch, causing him to groan and shove them off onto the floor. They cackle at him from the ground, then readjust to sit on the floor with their back up against the couch.
Charlie looks around the room, realizing there's not much seating left to be had, so he decides to just lean against the brick wall instead.
Yuvan glances up from his phone just in time to spot Alistaire considering the weight limit of the half broken crate in the corner, immediately standing up and catching his attention.
"Gotta piss, you can take my spot, Alistaire." He offers up his seat.
"Omg thank youuuu Yuvan." Yuvan gives a thumbs up in response as he heads out the door. Alistaire immediately drags the chair over by everyone else and sits in it with his legs up on the seat. It didn't look particularly comfortable in the leather pants he was wearing. Dave's the first to comment on it, speaking over the loud sound the duct tape makes as he wraps it on his shoe.
"Alistaire, I've no clue how you're not fully dying in that."
"Oh, I am!" He says cheerily, "but you know what they say~"
"9 out of 10 twinks die of heat stroke?" Charlie interjected before Alistaire could finish his quote.
"Gotta break a few huevos to make an omelet!" Mav chimes in.
"I was going to say--" he pauses, the phrase suddenly escaping him. "Nope, lost it. I guess we'll never know now, thanks Charlie!" Alistaire chucks his bag at Charlie's head. He ducks out of the way.
"Anytime." He picks up the bag, but doesn't throw it back.
"Boooo." Dave calls from the other side of the room.
Yuvan walks back in to find Alistaire making a feeble attempt to wrestle his bag back from Charlie, with Mav and Dave cheering on either side. He shoves Sal's legs to the side and sits on the arm of the couch to watch the chaos over his phone.
"Yeah, okay, but that's why it's great. The only reason that she makes it out in the end is because she's aware of all of the tropes of the genre, she goes that's not gonna be me. Only problem is, the killers are too, right? They even quote American Psycho, and this is before the Bale movie, so he's quoting the book! And I mean, yeah, it's still a slasher, but it's a total parody, they don't take themselves seriously at all." Dave's been chattering on about this 90's movie for about 15 minutes straight, trying to convince Alistaire to watch it.
"But is it gorey?? The last movie you guys watched you and Yuvan both said 'wasn't that bad' was sooooooo gross."
"I meeeeean, kinda? I don't think it's too bad. What do you think, Yuvan?"
Yuvan doesn't even register the question, he just stares at his phone.
"Helloooooo, Yuvan?" Alistaire leans over and waves his hand in front of his face. Yuvan jolted, startled away from whatever it was he was looking at.
"Huh? Sorry, got distracted. What was the question?"
"You been glued to that thing all night, man." Maverick pulls their head away from the game of Uno they were playing with Vinnie and Charlie as they waited for their drummer and Sal to bring the van around.
"Everything good, man?" Vinnie asks.
"What? Yeah, I'm fine. You guys can go back to your game." They turn to Dave and Alistaire. "What's going on?"
"Dave was trying to get you to agree to another scary movie for me to watch."
"It's not even that scary! It's funny!!"
"I mean, he says it's a funny movie. Can't argue with that."
"Yes I can, one hundred percent I can!! You both have really weird taste in movies!!"
Maverick, without saying anything, stands up and walks over to the couch, leaning over the back of it and snatching Yuvan's phone as he's laughing at Alistaire. They just barely get a glimpse of what was on the screen before Yuvan immediately grabs it back.
"What the hell, Mav?!"
"Ohhh, I fuckin' knew it. I knew that's why you were glued to your phone."
" Shut up , Mav."
"Huh?" Alistaire turns back to Yuvan. Him, Dave, and Charlie all seem to be paying attention to him now. Vinnie seems to be listening, but he seems unsurprised by anything happening. Yuvan shoves the phone in his pants pocket, glaring at Maverick.
Dave looks down at something that nobody else can see, then makes a small 'ohhh' sound under his breath.
"Someone fill me in, what's going on??" Alistaire asks, frustrated with nobody speaking up. Maverick looks down at Yuvan expectantly. He narrows his eyes at them, but doesn't say anything.
"Yuvan's texting his ex again, I saw him earlier on Insta--MMF!" Maverick begins to blurt out, but Yuvan quickly shoots his hand up to cover their mouth.
"I'm-- OW." Mav immediately bites his hand. They didn't bite too hard, but their sharp teeth still drew a bit of blood. "Youuu fucking--" Yuvan reaches up to pull them over the back of the couch. Maverick follows the momentum and just ends up landing on top of him and rolling off the other side, their back on the ground and spindly legs still on the couch. Yuvan shoves them off completely.
"I'm sorry his WHAT--" Alistaire is fully unphased and undistracted by the two's roughhousing. They both turn to him, Yuvan frowns a bit.
"I feel like I should be a little insulted by that reaction."
"No, like, I mean, you've never brought up an ex?? Tell me everything??" Alistaire quickly closes in on Yuvan's personal space.
"I wasn't even texting him--"
"Uh-huh." Maverick crosses their arms in disapproval, though the gesture doesn't hold the same effect when they've been shoved onto the floor.
"Tell meeeeee. Is he an asshole? Did you dump him or did he dump you?? Is he cute?? "
"He's--"
"He's a creep." Maverick finishes Yuvan's answer for him. "He sucks and I hope he explodes."
"Oh, come on. He's not that bad."
"Tsk tsk, tell tale sign of a guy who is probably definitely that bad, Yuvan." Alistaire shakes his head. "I get it though. You should definitely show me what he sent you."
"Is he bothering you, then?" Charlie suddenly chimes in. Yuvan hadn't even realized he was still listening. "Since you're apparently not the one texting him. "
"What'd he even do?" Dave asks.
"I'm sorry, I don't remember asking to be interrogated??" Yuvan snapped back.
"Yuvan." Alistaire got very in his face. Like, inches away from it, as close as he can get without touching, looking directly in his eyes. Yuvan glanced to the side, avoiding the intense eye contact. "Yuvan, I tell you about every hot freak man I meet at your shows, you have to tell me."
"I don't have to do shit."
"Fiiiiiiiiine." Alistaire sighs, pulling away from the awkward closeness and slumping back into his seat. "I'll just ask Mav later." Maverick gives two thumbs up from the floor.
Yuvan drags his hands down his face before standing up.
"I'm gonna go see if Sal needs help putting stuff away." He steps over Mav on the floor and walks out the door.
Vinnie watches him leave and glances at Maverick doing the same, frowning at where Yuvan just was. He puts his cards down and heads out after him.
With nobody left to keep playing, Charlie tosses his cards onto the ground and leans back, watching what the others do.
Maverick sits up slowly, looking at the couch. "Guess it's too much to hope that he left his phone behind?"
Alistaire looks on the couch and glances around to the possible surfaces to leave a phone. "I think he took it with him."
Sal peeks into the room, a part of the drumset tucked under his arm.
"We're putting stuff in the van now. What's the deal with Yuvan? He looks like a kicked puppy." He asks the whole room, but he's looking directly at Maverick.
"Something about his ex?" David says, turning to Mav to elaborate. Maverick sighs.
"He's talking to Grey again." The name makes Sal's face scrunch up a bit in recognition.
" Seriously? "
"Apparently!"
"What kind of name is Grey, anyways?" Dave asks "No wonder that guy's an asshole."
Maverick stands up and stretches a bit.
"He's a guy we knew way back in the Seattle scene."
"He followed him to Silver City, from Seattle?? " Alistaire asked, understandably put off. Charlie makes a face a bit.
Maverick shrugs.
"Apparently he's got family over here, fully unrelated to us moving out here. It's not like it's impossible, but who's to say!"
"Well, if he knows what's good for him, he won't show up here." Sal says before leaving down the hall, having said all he feels that he needs to say. David heads out after him. Maverick walks over to where they were playing Uno, and starts scooping up the cards to put them away.
"Hey, Alistaire, can you put that box under the chair on the table?"
"Huh? Oh, sure." He pulls out the junk box, Mav walks over and drops the pack of cards into it. "Mav, you gotta give me tea once you're done cleaning up, okay?"
"Oh, absolutely."
With the van and Sal's truck loaded up with instruments and equipment, Yuvan no longer has any tasks to use to avoid talking to his friends. He absentmindedly checks his phone again, and again ends up staring at a message client, with a single long received message and an empty text box on his end.
Charlie loudly closes the van doors and glances over to Yuvan on his phone.
"Hey."
Yuvan looks up. "Hm?"
"If you need someone to kick his ass, say the word."
Yuvan rolls his eyes a bit. "Vinnie and Sal already offered. I'm good."
"Jus' sayin." Charlie shrugs, then walks back in the back door in the venue, probably off to drag Alistaire out.
Yuvan walks to the side of the building where his bike was chained up. He started unlocking his bike locks when he registered that the back wheel was flat. He kicked the wall in frustration, his shadow flickering a bit in response. The bike was fine on the way over, what the hell happened? More importantly, how the hell was he supposed to get back home?
As Alistaire and Charlie walk back out into the alley to load into his truck, Yuvan walks the bike over towards them, grabbing Charlie's attention from their conversation.
"Hey man, my bike's fucked. You mind if I hitch a ride in the back?"
"You can but your payment is gossip." Alistaire butted in, despite it not being his truck at all. Charlie ignores him.
"Why not go with Sal?"
"Have you seen how Sal drives?"
"Have you seen how Charlie drives??" Alistaire pointed out. Charlie shoots him a look, but doesn't defend himself.
"Yeah, like a jagoff, but a jagoff who can still die. That's already better off than Sal, trust me."
"Fair point." Charlie contemplates it for a second, then shrugs. "Yeah, whatever."
"Sick. You can just drop me off at the gas station at 21st and Excelsior. I'm more southwest, but I just need to fix the bike up to ride the rest of the way."
"How much further south? I don't mind just driving the whole way."
Yuvan hesitates a bit. Charlie's been to the other band members apartment to help transport instruments a couple times, there's really no reason to not trust him with where he lived if they do.
"..West Leadtown, sort of. It's that weird area where some people wanna argue it's Copper, but it's definitely Leadtown prices. I think those people just don't wanna admit they're poor."
"I didn't realize you also lived in Leadtown!" Alistaire chimed in. "I mean, I don't, but I'm surprised you and Charlie don't hang out more, he's probably just up the street."
Yuvan shrugs, then tosses his bike into the bed of the truck before hoisting himself up there as well.
"There's a lot of people in Leadtown, Alistaire." Charlie elbows him a bit.
"I'm just saying!" Alistaire shoves him back in retaliation. Yuvan puts his earbuds in as they continue to fight. Something about it takes him back years and years, listening to his CDs on the couch while his brothers did their best impression of a WWF match. Eventually he feels the vibration of the doors closing as they finally stop long enough to get in the truck.
Yuvan must have dozed off at some point, because the next thing he knows, the truck is stopped and Alistaire's waking him up.
"Shit. Are we here already?"
"Yep! Charlie's getting gas, since we're here. I'm gonna get a snack. We'd only been driving for like fifteen minutes, but you were out so quick, I thought you might've died!"
"I had work before the show. Must've been more worn out than I realized."
"Oh wow, yeah. I'd definitely be dead, that sounds like it sucks."
Yuvan gives a weak chuckle.
"Do you want anything from inside?"
"Nah..." Yuvan glanced at the air pump by the edge of the parking lot. "Just gonna go see if I can get some air in my bike."
"Okay! I'm gonna get some gummy worms." Alistaire darted across the lot to the gas station doors as Yuvan hoisted himself, then his bike, out of the truck bed. He walked it over to the air pump and attempted to get the wheels back to a functional state. Only the tire didn't seem to want to cooperate. Then he noticed the source of the issue, a small gash in the tires.
He cursed under his breath. Or he tried to, it must've been a bit louder than he realized, Alistaire turned to him as he walked out the gas station.
"You okay?" Alistaire had a small plastic bag full of snacks in one hand, and a slushie in the other.
"Yeah. Bike's worse than I thought, someone slashed my tire. Probably at the venue." Yuvan drags his hand down his face. "Just my luck."
"Wow, that's so mean?? Do you think they knew it was your bike, or..?"
Yuvan shrugs.
Alistaire leans up against the wall beside him.
"Still sucks. Charlie said earlier though, he can just drive you the whole way, right?"
Yuvan sighs a bit. "Yeah."
"You want a gummy worm?"
Yuvan looks down at the torn open bag he'd fished out of the grocery bag.
"....Yeah, sure. Why not?" He reached in and grabbed a couple. He didn't realize they were the sour kind until he put them in his mouth. He must've made a face, because Alistaire started laughing. He couldn't help but laugh a bit too.
"Oh!" Alistaire looked like he was suddenly reminded of something.
"...Oh?"
"So, now that we're out here, and you're in gummy worm debt to me--"
"I'm sorry, gummy worm debt?"
"Yes! Anyways, tell me about this Gray guy!"
Yuvan groaned. "You're still on this?"
"Ummmm, yes? I didn't get my gossip earlier and now you're trapped."
Yuvan frowns.
"If you want, obviously."
"Ugh."
"Pleeeeeease, I won't shame you for your taste in men like Mav was. I promise you I've dated worse! Well. Maybe, assuming he's not like a serial killer or something."
"He's not a fucking serial killer. He's....fine. I don't know, he can be a bit of a self centered dick sometimes, but he has moments."
"Uh- huhhh ..."
"Yeah, whatever, I know how it sounds."
"I didn't say anything!"
"Sure." Yuvan sighs. "He's a guy me and Mav knew back in the scene in Seattle, before I transitioned. So since he knew me then, sometimes he says...some stuff. And Mav thinks he's only with me because of some weird loophole in his brain where it's not technically gay because I'm trans."
"....Jesus."
"And last time we were together, we got in a huge fight at my job cuz I caught him with this goth chick from one of our shows and I got fired--"
"Whoa--"
"And when Sal saw him trying to come by practice to make it up to me, after I was complaining about him, Sal threatened to rip his head off, which scared him off for a while."
"Wow, that's... Well that tracks for Sal, actually."
"But he's...whatever. He's fine. I get why the others don't like him, but he's...I dunno."
"I meeeeaaann, is he fine? He sounds like he sucks."
"Sometimes he sucks. Sometimes he's alright."
"Is the--"
"If you're about to ask about the sex, don't. We're not that close. Sorry."
"Fiiiiiine..." Alistaire pouts a bit. "Y'know I thought this would be fun drama, but it's just kinda sad. Why even bother with this guy, is he like stupid crazy hot or something??"
Yuvan pulls his phone out and opens his camera roll, quickly scrolling past several pictures until he lands on one. It shows a slightly younger Yuvan, his face slightly rounder, his hair cut short and dyed blue. Next to him is a taller man with long ash blonde hair, he has sharp features and at least twice as much piercings as Yuvan, wearing a band tee with the arms ripped off. They're both making the devil horns sign with their hands at the camera, Yuvan is laughing while the other guy looks like he's yelling something excitedly.
"I mean...he's not bad looking. Not really my type, though... And I didn't know you used to have short hair??"
"Yeah, I chopped it off when I moved up here, didn't start growing it back out again until uh....2? Years ago?"
"It's a good look for you!"
"Eh. I prefer it long." He shrugs. "Thanks though."
" Anyyyyyyways , I'm no stranger to the whole, oh I'll date this guy who sucks because it's all I think I'm gonna get syndrome."
"I never said that."
"I know! I'm saying it! I've been there and it sucks and he sucks. If Charlie was listening, the first part you told me would've been enough for him to get his ass kicked. And Mav said he followed you here from Seattle. And he cheated on you I think you said?? --Actually, in hindsight this is pretty drama-y, isn't it?"
"Little bit, I guess."
"Anyways--" Yuvan barely blinked and Alistaire had his phone in his hands, typing away.
" What the- what the fuck are you doing, give me that!"
"Nope!" Alistaire held it overhead and hopped just out of Yuvan's reach as he lunged for it. He continued to play keepaway with his phone while Yuvan chased after him. Most people were slower than Alistaire on their best day, but Yuvan was still pretty tuckered out, which didn't help.
Charlie had pulled the pickup to one of the spots closer to the front of the gas station entrance a few moments ago. He'd been idly scrolling on his phone while the two finished talking outside. He was pulled out of it, though, when he heard the thumping of Alistaire clamoring across the hood of the trunk. He hurriedly got out of the truck to yell at him.
"What the fuck are you doing out th--" He didn't even get the sentence out before he saw Yuvan tackle Alistaire to the ground.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"
"CHARLIEEE!! CHARLIECHARLIECHARLIE." Alistaire was struggling to keep a phone out of Yuvan's reach. He tossed it over to Charlie. "CATCH!!!"
"Are you insane, don't throw it?!?!" Yuvan exclaimed, but it was already too late. Luckily Charlie grabbed it out of the air before it could hit the asphalt.
"CHARLIE PRESS SEND!!"
"DON'T."
He raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the phone. He noticed the name that Mav and the others were talking about earlier, that guy Yuvan was talking to. He also noticed the break-up text that Alistaire must have typed out for him. Charlie didn't really want to get involved with Yuvan's love life like this, but...
Charlie held the phone out to Yuvan. "Here."
"BOOOOOOOO!!" Alistaire loudly booed him from the ground, with Yuvan still on top of him. Yuvan slowly got up, helping a pouty, defeated Alistaire up as well once he was on his feet. He then reached over to take the phone, but as he handed it off, Charlie's thumb 'slipped' and hit the send button. It took a moment for Yuvan to realize what had happened.
"Wh-- oh god damn it." Yuvan attempted to open the options menu to unsend the message before it could be read, but just as he did, he got the notification that Grey was calling him.
"Reject the call, or, ooh! Pick it up and hang up on him immediately." Alistaire was peering over his shoulder. Yuvan's thumb hovered over the red button on the phone screen for a moment.
"C'mon, he sucks! It'll feel good!"
"Ugh." He hits the reject call button and shoves the phone into his pants pocket. After he does, Charlie swears the lights overhead feel a bit brighter.
" YES!!! " Alistaire grips Yuvan's shoulder, shaking him a bit. "See, isn't that better??"
"No."
"Pshh, it'll feel better soon. Oh, Charlie, we gotta stop for ice cream."
"Alistaire I’m not a lovesick girl, I don't need ice cream--"
"Sure, just get in the truck."
"Yesss." Alistaire sprints over to where he left his bag of gas station goodies and Yuvan's bicycle. He walks it over to the truck, Yuvan hoists it into the bed.
He was about to hop in himself, as well, but Alistaire stops him.
"Whoa, nonono, you gotta sit in the front with us."
"...is there room? I'm not that small of a guy"
"Psh, you're not that big, and I'm skinny, we'll fit. You gotta tell Charlie about this guy, he'll hate him."
Yuvan groans.
"C'mooooon." Alistaire drags Yuvan over to the passenger door by his arm, and he reluctantly goes along with him. The interior of the pickup is definitely crowded with both of them trying to fit in, and all 3 have complaints to make at various points in the ride. But it works.