Aliko
“Aliko, Aliko, Aliko!”
The crowd chants my name through the silence, waiting for what they know is to come.
The drum solo for Haunted Desires isn’t on the soundtrack, but it’s become an important part of the show. It took the fans only a few shows to realize what was coming. Word spread. And they all knew, waited, cheered. Now I smile before they even start because I can’t help myself.
They’re cheering forme. They want to hearme.
The four of us make up the band and without one, we aren’t The Unbound. The crowd wants us, our songs. But right now… they just want me, and there is something about that that I could never replicate anywhere else. There is nothing that could evermake me feel the way I do right this second with thousands of people calling out my name, wanting me to perform.
Except maybe the way Leif looks at me. But that’s a different situation. Apples and oranges, as they say.
I grip the sticks, every one of my arms hovering over a different drum. No one else on the planet could play what I’m about to play. That’s why it’s so damn special.
I start with a slow roll on the snare. It flows to the toms before ending with a sharp crash of the cymbal.
Silence.
The arena erupts.
I let them enjoy the excitement for a beat before striking again, adding another rhythm, another layer. Louder. Faster. Bigger. The cheers swell until they're almost as deafening as the drums.
Then I don't stop.
My arms become a blur, each limb working independently while somehow staying perfectly in sync. The beat grows wilder, more impossible, pushing faster and harder until my muscles burn. The crowd is on their feet now, screaming every time they think I've reached the end—only for me to throw them into another impossible run.
The guys smile at me from the sidelines, cheering me on silently. When I’m done, the crowd goes. Fucking. Wild.
The guys jump right into the last bit of the song.
We play the last two songs, get off stage as if they don’t know we’re coming back, but the fans always know which bands do encores and we’re one of them. So we go back on as if it wasn’t planned all along and play everyone’s favorite.
Then we leave and the crowd echoes for far too long until the arena is cleared out. The meet and greet takes forever because we’re in Syracuse, and we have only one night here, so they sold more tickets.
We have four shows in New York City, though. We’re heading there first thing in the morning so we can have time to explore the city. And I get to take Leif out for that dinner I promised him. I’ve been researching different places to go, and I think I’ve found the perfect one. It makes me nervous, but I think he’ll love it, and that’s all I care about.
Leif made plans with the crew tonight, and though I’m lonely in my room and maybe a little jealous, I don’t say anything about it. It’s not my place.
I order food, watch TV, and lie in bed, just taking a break while I can get it. I consider staying up since we have to be on the buses at five and it’s already almost two, but I fall asleep and before I know it, my alarm is going off and waking me up.
There’s a text from Leif that came in a couple hours ago. I groan when I open it and see a photo of him in the hotel bathroom mirror, completely naked.
Tattoos cover his body, his nipple rings glinting in the light. His cock is soft, hanging just slightly more to the left. He’s so hot. So fucking hot. And all mine. Which is what I text him, then think about it way too much.
We never said that. He said he wanted easy. Claiming him as mine… does that complicate things?
I don’t know, but I can’t take it back now, and I don’t have time to worry about it. I need to get up and pack the few things I have and get to the bus before I’m the asshole who makes everyone late.
Not that we need to be there at a certain time, but the guys want to get in early so we can enjoy as much of New York as possible. There’s a lot to see.
I am excited about New York, about this big city that everyone talks about, but what I’m mostly excited about is going to Rhode Island. A state that is on the ocean. A state where I can get into the water and find a place to be myself for just a few moments.I love being like this, but I’m starting to feel like I’m wearing clothes that are too tight, even though it has nothing to do with my clothes and everything to do with my skin.
The guys and I grab a late lunch at a restaurant that serves specialty burgers. Fans bombard us immediately. We sign napkins and shirts, take photos, and chat with them and we do it happily. But at some point, the owner seems to get pissed that they’re taking up all the space and not buying anything, so they get rid of them.
When we’re done eating, we walk around and explore the city. Not only are we stared at on the street, but people take photos and some stop us to talk. It’s all part of the job, and none of us hate it. We’re happy to do it.
After a couple of hours, we head back to our hotel, each with plans to do something different later on. I’d made reservations at a rooftop restaurant that’s on the 20th floor. I’ve never been up that high before, so that’s what’s making me nervous. But of all the places I looked at, this one seemed like the place Leif would like the most.
