Fast forward another ten months, after living in three different houses, all the paperwork was finally signed, and Theo became their son. Since they traveled a lot, they didn’t fit the criteria of a stable home, and the process had been a pain in the ass. They got it, they really did. Their circumstances were a bit too out of the norm, but being around constantly wasn’t what would make the situation good for him; quality time and love did.
Luckily for them, the social worker who did all the interviews and follow-ups with them had considered a lot more than their jobs. They had money, a big house, had been a couple long enough, and the kid already knew and trusted them.
However, what probably tipped the balance in their favor was the support system they had. Not only would the entire crew look after Theo like one of their own, but Chris’s mom and Leah’s father had moved to Munich to take care of him when they weren’t around. Guess no person or law could say anything against that.
“I’m gonna ask for a refund.” Chris laughed, patting Theo’s arm. “You have too many loose screws.”
“You have loose screws,” the boy retorted as he let him go.
“You both need to see a mechanic.”
“Says Mr. Perfect,” the guitarist countered.
Marc grinned and, unable to hold back when Chris’s eyes shone with the intensity and mischief that had made him fall in love, he leaned in to kiss him. This life they had now, this family, was because he, who was strongly opposed to becoming a parent, willingly forfeited his freedom and pushed his fears away to offer the kid a home. Impulsive and reckless as always, the guitarist still was the kindest human.
“Ew. Gross.”
“You won’t say the same when you find someone.” Marc poked his forehead lovingly.
“Nah, thank you.” He slightly blushed. “Video games and guitars are easier than people.”
“Fair enough.” The bassist cackled. Seriously, he was just like a mini version of Chris.
“Guys!” Uwe called, motioning for them to get up. “It’s time.”
“Let’s go.” Marc stood, taking his bass from Chris as he and Theo got up, too.
The three of them walked to where Leah and Erik were already waiting for them, jumping on the spot. On the way, Marc handed Noah his bass while Karl approached with Chris’s guitar. They’d all done their warm-ups and routines that, at this point, had become some sort of meditation that helped them get into thezone. With the adrenaline pulsing in their veins, they needed these rituals to reach that trance-like state of mind that helped them focus during the performance. Now, it was the calm before the storm.
“Theo boy,” Søren called.
After giving Marc a side hug and Chris a playful punch in the stomach, Theo trotted towards him. Leah and Søren might not always be around, but he’d grown fond of them, and vice versa. The Norse frontman had even confessed that the boy reminded him of himself when he was a kid.
That statement had made the bassist as sad as it did proud. Søren hadn’t had it easy in the past, but he’d fought to be where he was now. If Theo grew to be half of the outstanding human that he was, Marc and Chris would have done an amazing job.
With their arms entangled and their heads touching in a group hug, Erik, Leah, Chris, and Marc inhaled and exhaled. They allowed themselves one last minute of peace. One moment to connect on a deeper level and tune their energies to the same frequency before exploding and giving their all on stage.
“Okay, let’s do this!” the drummer said.
“Booyah!” Leah shouted.
Glancing once more at Theo, who was grinning from ear to ear beside Søren, Marc followed the drummer and Chris. They put on their in-ear monitors, hung the guitar and the bass while Erik spun his drumsticks in the air, and walked outside.
The voices in the crowd grew louder, getting deafening when they waved at them. It was overwhelming, emotionally and spiritually, a sensation that would never get old. Maybe they were all insane for vibing to the harshness and brutality of metal music, but they were all together in this—musicians, crew, and fans.
Across oceans, people were connected through invisible cords because music wasn’t about gender, sexual orientation, race, social status, or religion. It was about hearts and souls beating in unison.
As Erik kicked the bass drum, Chris and Marc shared a look, and in perfect sync, they strummed the strings of their instruments. The guitarist stepped onto the platform on the edge of the stage and put on the typical metal stink face. He loved interacting with the audience the most. Meanwhile, the bassist was already lost in himself, feeling the wind blowing around him as he steadily bobbed his head.
The uproar increased once again when Leah appeared, singing with that incredibly dark, powerful, and beautiful voice she had. Smoothly shifting between clean vocals and a more gritty sound, she strode towards the center of the stage and hopped on the platform.
This song started out slow. But, deceiving, it crept under the skin, and before you realized, it rooted deep in your soul with all the savagery and force it unleashed. It talked about emptiness, despair, and the darkness within that everyone hides. But it was also about redemption. It hurt. It tore. But it gave life. It was like autumn; with a sense of death floating in the air, but full of hope because everything falling would rise again in an endless cycle.
It was a fucking masterpiece.
“I wanna hear you scream with me!” Leah said, panting as they got to an instrumental part of the track. “Are you ready?”
The audience’s response was amazing. Hands doing the horns and all kinds of whistles flooded the atmosphere.
