“Technically, you didn’t tell me. I caught you.”
“Whatever. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“If you keep frowning like that all the time, you’re gonna get wrinkles soon.” He pressed a finger between Kaj’s eyebrows.
“No, I won’t. And don’t change the topic.”
Jesper looked at Val and Theo ahead of them, talking to each other as if they were here alone, then sighed. “Let’s just say, I wasn’t raised the same way you were.”
“What do you mean?”
“My dad was quite homophobic, so it’s hard for me to talk freely about it.”
“It’s me we’re talking about.”
“I know. I’m sorry, buddy.” Jesper wrapped an arm around Kaj and squeezed his shoulder. “I just... I didn’t want to confuse or influence you in any way when you were trying to figure yourself out.”
Kaj twisted his mouth, but he didn’t push it. “What about Katja?”
“Mom... well, she knows, but she doesn’t fully understand, either. So I just don’t mention it around her.”
“What?” Kaj tilted his head. “She doesn’t seem to have a problem with me.”
“She’s not a bad person or anything, and she loves you, your dad, and me. Would drown in her own lies before risking losing any of us. But after what my dad did and the things he used to say, well, she’s kind of...confused.”
Suddenly, a blue flash lit the sky, plunging everything into darkness again as the melody ofSparksslipped through the amps.
“It’s starting.” Jesper grinned, putting his arm over Kaj’s shoulders and whistling.
People clapped rhythmically, cheering at the top of their lungs while engulfed in this thrilling atmosphere. Meanwhile, as if nothing about the conversation with Jesper had upset him, Kaj leaned in and hooked a finger through Noah’s belt loop on the back of his jeans, kissing that sweet spot under his ear.
“I’m so happy to be here with you.”
Noah turned slightly and pecked his lips. “Me too.”
The murmur in the crowd got louder when the musicians’ silhouettes appeared on stage. The song twisted into its darker shade. Winston McCall’s voice shifted from speaking to growling. And there, for a millisecond, the world stilled, erupting in screams the moment the spotlights came on again as he roared into the mic, “I’ll bring the gasoline!”
The sweetest shiver ran down Noah’s spine, covering the skin of his back and arms in goosebumps. His heart leaped in his chest and his pulse thudded everywhere, making him more alive than he’d ever been.
Without missing a beat, the illumination changed from blue to orange as they weaved one track with the next. The aggressiveness of the flawless show, with lights flaring in time with the drums, hit Noah with an adrenaline punch. Intense. Surreal. Enthralling. It was a brutal onslaught of emotions.
The morning after, as they watched Artificial Suicide, among other bands, he was ready to die.
Their performance, under the bright light of the day, wasn’t as impressive as the ones at night, but they nailed every damn song. And their energy on stage? It was off the fucking charts.Just like their charisma. Watching them live was an out-of-body experience. Those guys had been born to do this.
They were everything Noah wanted to be, and they were living his dream, slowly climbing up in the industry. They’d only been playing for two years and already had a contract with Arkham Records, one of the most renowned independent record labels, with confirmed tours for 2014 and 2015 to travel all over Europe and even South America.
But what made him feel like he was really flying happened late on Saturday night.
Theo and Val were dead asleep on the sofa bed in the living room. Kurt had gone out with some friends to continue partying after the last concert. Jesper and Paul were engaged in what sounded like rough sex, judging by the way the headboard was knocking on the wall and their moans next door.
Noah was confused. Not only because this was strange to him, but because getting turned on by it and using it to his advantage didn’t feel as wrong as he’d expected.
“Oh, fuck…” Kaj whispered, breaking their kiss and tossing his head back as Noah jerked their cocks together.
Jesper had lent them his bedroom for the weekend, teasing them about how they could hug and fool around without their friends bothering them. On Friday night, they were too exhausted after the adrenaline had worn off. But tonight, they hadn’t had enough.
“Holy shit. Slow down or I’m gonna come.”
