New York (LoW prompt: Bubble)

[killingsoftly]

The first couple of days had been like in a dream of pure joy. He still had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't actually dreaming, that it all was real. That more than just the fact that Warren was with him, that Warren loved him. That he ... even in his head he stumbled over the word, but he managed it...loved Warren.

There was fear there, too. Always fear, of what he could do. Of what he'd done before. That Warren would wake up one day and realize just who and what he was in bed with. That Warren didn't know the worst of it. The lives he'd taken knowingly. Purposefully.

That the full knowledge of him would burst the bubble of happiness they were floating in.

He pulled on his leather pants and shrugged into his silk shirt. Earring in, just one, shirt half unbuttoned. He added a touch of eyeliner, something to draw eyes to his. Nothing too elaborate. Nothing like what he'd paraded around in the years of Glam. But a touch. He was tousling his hair, adding in gel when his cell rang.

He glanced at the number and sighed. He almost didn't answer, but he finally did. He wondered how she'd known he was in town.

"Brenda."

"Devin, darling," her voice was always so chipper and yet refined. "You naughty boy, you didn't call and tell me you were in town."

He continued to fuss with his hair. "No, I didn't."

"I thought that was our arrangement."

"It's not? I call when I need work, luv, but currently I'm doing just fine." He wasn't, really, but his investments would hold. He'd saved well. He could afford to not have to work for her for a while.

"Devin..." She sounded like she was chiding him. "Kathryn saw your poster. She'd like to see you after the show."

"Not possible." He slapped on the aftershave a little too vehemently.

"And why not?"

"I have plans." He swallowed, closing his eyes as he prepared to cut the ties. "Rather permanent ones."

There was a long pause on the other end. "You're quitting?"

He took a deep breath. "Yeah. I am."

"You can't do that. You're my most successful..."

"Everyone quits at some point, Brenda. You did."

"You're at your peak!"

"I'm done." For now.

"Devin...you've always said..."

"I know." He leaned against the counter.

"You're the best."

He sighed, closing his eyes. "Yeah. I know." It was his particular gift. "I'm still done, at least for now, okay?"

Another long pause and then a sigh. "She must be something."

He smiled a little. "He is."

She chuckled at that. "Kathryn will still be there tonight."

"I'll deal with her."

"She's a very important client."

"I'll deal with her nicely."

"If you ever..."

"Yeah, I know. I'll call."

She sighed one more time and then he heard the click. He set the phone aside, closing his eyes again and rubbing his temples.

He'd need to book more gigs, for the energy and the money. Cut new CDs and push them. Maybe actually put up a website with ordering. Something to bring money in to keep them going. And he'd have to make these phone calls in most major cities in America.

It wasn't going to be easy, but he just...he didn't know what Warren would say. Didn't want to find out, if it disappointed him. Didn't...He wanted them to stay as happy as they were. Whatever it took. He'd just have to pull more from the audience. Take from them what he couldn't get elsewhere. He could make it work. He gave a resolute nod, and reached to work on messing his hair up just a bit more.

Comments

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

Devin's groupies were definitely giving them looks, looks filled with speculation, sizing Warren up, and most of them seeming to like what they saw.

Devin snuggled back against him until the music stopped and the curtain fell and people started milling about getting drinks.

"Showtime," he whispered, giving Warren a grin.

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

Warren grinned right back, following him into the backstage shadows to steal a kiss before the show.

"See you on stage."

Another kiss, and then he tore himself away to head back to his station at the soundboard.

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

Devin grinned to himself, pulsing with the energy from the other bands, from the audience already, from sheer happiness itself.

He tuned his guitar again and nodded to his hired back-up. They were his regulars in New York and they knew his stuff. Anything new, he'd do solo or they could pick up fast. It was why he hired them.

"Ready boys?" They all grinned and assented and he got settled on stage as the curtain came up.

One long chord and there were excited shouts. He gave a wicked little smile and then launched in to the first number.

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

Warren smiled.

It was easier than he'd expected to keep his focus, at least. Make sure everything was functioning, everything was coming out right. There was some initial trouble with the backup guitar's mike, easily fixed. Other than that, everything seemed to be going well.

Well enough that he could stand back a bit and relax, keeping an eye on things, on the crowd, on the boards, on Devin. Listening to the music with the ear he'd been developing, listening for entertainment and listening for quality all at once.

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

Devin was focused on the audience. Action. Reaction. Pull them closer, push them away. Rock anthems to ballads to something far more indie and then with a flash of whimsy a number or two of Elvis', Devin-style.

He had the full range of things. Lyrics that throbbed and resonated and were meant to speak to the intellect as well as the heart. And then, just when they thought they couldn't take anymore, he'd slide into something else just to make them want to dance, to watch them dance.

A love song to her. A proposition to him. All part of the act, and he threw himself into it wholeheartedly, pulling more from them than they thought they could feel at something so simple as a concert.

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

Warren smiled, listening. Watching. It was more than he'd seen Devin do in a while, if ever. More energy, more brilliance, more sex. More of everything.

He could feel his skin thrumming with what he was starting to identify as theatre-high. And underneath that, a layer of excitement all Devin's own, that he'd only ever noticed the other man able to bring out. He had to drag his focus back to the soundboards, make sure it continued.

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

The set was supposed to be 45 minutes. A few beers and a lot of water had appeared on the edge of the stage for him and the boys, and he appreciated that. At an hour, he tried to close with his final number, but the audience kept crying out for more.

He glanced back at the house manager who gave him a wry smile and a shrug. People were buying alcohol. Were dancing. It was good for business if Devin could stay on stage.

He shrugged a little back, tossed the audience another grin and picked up his guitar again.

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

Warren narrowed his eyes at that. Encores were all right, but let them go on too long and he worried that Devin would be exhausted. He shifted from foot to foot for a moment, wondering.

Well, Devin probably knew his limitations. A couple more songs would be fine, anyway. After that, he'd see if he could use the backup as an excuse.

Which might not be an excuse, even, as he took a closer look at the rest of the musicians. They didn't draw energy the way Devin did. They were looking damp, at the very least.

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

Devin gave them another 15 minutes, but he could feel the band's energy flagging as well. They at least needed an intermission of sorts, not being used to going this long and hard.

He managed to ignore the calls for more and definitely his own hunger for more. He hadn't pulled that much in a while and he felt like he was flying when he stepped off stage. He drank a bottle of water backstage, accepting the accolades from the band, before finally moving back out to the audience.

His shirt was clinging to his skin, and it wasn't helped by all the girls trying to touch, to pet. They wanted him to sign things and he did. They wanted CDs, he promised to get more burned. On a whim, he grabbed a notepad from the bartender and deputized one of the girls to get email addresses. If he was going to do this, a mailing list might be good. He'd resisted until now.

He was weaving his way through them all, a kiss here, a squeeze there, an autograph on a body part or two, when arms closed around him and he heard a soft purr.

"Hey, lover..." Then her lips were on his, sweet and enticing and he was left wondering again why exactly Kathryn felt the need to pay for sex.

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

Warren moved through the crowd towards the rest of them with a mildly amused expression on his face, working more towards making it to Devin without being grabbed, drenched in beer, stepped on, elbowed, or otherwise manhandled.

They loved it. They wanted more. And Devin would probably be all right with this, maybe even if they played some bigger venues. Slightly bigger. Too much more and it'd lose the personal touch that Devin seemed to like. The girls were all right. Devin liked playing the game, and Warren didn't mind watching.

This other woman who seemed to think she was entitled to something more personal was different. He was four feet away when she suckered her lips to his and his eyebrows shot up, all expression falling from his face, hair falling in front of his eyes again. He shoved his hands into his pockets.

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

Devin kissed her back for just a moment, just to soften the part where he unwound her arms from around his neck and stepped back. He gave her a soft smile, as gentle as he could make it, knowing she was not going to be happy about this and also knowing that she hadn't done anything to deserve being hurt, though he doubted hurt was going to be part of it.

"Kathryn."

She pouted a little at being pushed away, looking up at him with a seductive gleam in her eyes.

"That was amazing." Her voice was low, intimate and serving to back off the girls who were crowding them. "I've never seen you so...entrancing." Her fingers slid down his chest.

It was good to know it had worked, at least. He captured her fingers before they went any lower, pushing her hand gently away.

She frowned at that. "C'mon. Let's get out of here..."

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

Warren watched her. The way she touched him. The way she looked at him. There was something else going on here and it twisted at his stomach, even knowing that this was probably not the first or last time this would happen. Devin had been around for a while. He probably had exes. Or...

He turned away, heading towards the bar. It wasn't the right time to get drunk, but he could nurse a beer and try to ignore whatever was happening, at least. Until he knew...

... where he stood, was what came to mind.

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

It was Devin's turn to frown a bit. "Didn't Brenda call you?"

Kathryn waved her hand dismissively. "She said some nonsense about you not being available, but really, darling, we both know that's not true."

Devin sighed, just a bit, then said. "It is."

"It is what?"

"True."

She gave him a narrow look. "Did someone else already buy your services tonight, because I can top whatever they've offered..."

"No buying. No paying. I'm not in the business anymore."

Kathryn gave a short laugh. "You're joking. People like you just don't quit. You're too good..."

He arched an eyebrow, cool and withdrawn. "People like me?"

"You need this as much as I want it," she hissed a little.

"No."

"Yes."

"Not from you." The words were out before he could stop them, remember his promise to play nice.

She paled a bit and her hand hit his cheek with a very loud crack."

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

Warren had wound up nursing a Hard lemonade instead, but even through his brooding he heard that.

Couldn't see them anymore, though, through the crowd. He frowned a little, wondering what was going on.

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

There were gasps and not happy murmurs from the crowd around them. Devin closed his eyes and touched his cheek lightly.

"Kathryn...."

"Miss, you're going to have to come with me..." The bouncer had her by the arm, giving Devin an arch look.

"What?" Kathryn stared at him, appalled.

"You need to leave now."

"But he..."

"It's all right," Devin interjected quietly. "Let her go."

"You sure?"

Devin gave him a look. He wasn't a wimp who needed protecting from a woman. The bouncer let her go and she whirled and glared at Devin.

"You're done in this town. You'll have to get by on your music."

"That was the plan."

She glared again and whirled, pushing her way through the crowd.

Devin was immediately besieged by fans wanting to nurse his poor cheek. He wriggled away from them with small smiles of thanks, looking for Warren.

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

Warren was standing a little ways away from the bar now, listening for further sounds of violence, but none had been forthcoming.

He had seen a very angry looking woman storm off. Thought about detaining her, but decided not to.

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

Devin finally made his way to him, flashing him a rueful smile.

"That was new."

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

"What happened?"

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

Devin ordered a beer from the bartender then snagged a stool. There were plenty of people who looked like they wanted to talk to him still, but they were respecting what they'd seen before with Warren.

"Kathryn's not used to hearing the word no unless it's coming from her own lips."

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

Warren relaxed, a little.

"Oh." Took a sip of his drink. "Heh. That explains..."

No, it didn't. But it explained the slap and the stalking off.

He took another drink and then made an effort to drag himself out of his funk. "Ex-girlfriend?"

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

Devin looked slightly startled at the mere concept of a girlfriend, ex or not.

"Not exactly. Just a regular."

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

"Oh."

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

Devin glanced at him, frowning slightly and slid an arm around his waist, nuzzling at his jaw.

"What's wrong?"

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

Warren finished off his drink before responding, reaching across Devin to set it back on the bar.

And part of him wanted to hold back until he got a more detailed answer. He knew evading when he heard it. That wasn't the whole story.

But the night had been wonderful. And he was more tired, now, than upset for some reason, and he pulled Devin loosely into his arms and rested his cheek against his.

"Nothing. Not anymore."

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

Devin relaxed against him and forgot all about Kathryn in the pleasant hum of the night's high. The club was slowly emptying out as people went looking for the after party, though a few people sent lingering looks Devin's way, waiting to see if he'd choose someone to take home.

They were forced to realize he already had, though, and left with disappointed sighs.

"I got about a hundred names, but some people slipped out before I got to them." The brightly smiling brunette had to interrupt, since she had Devin's notebook. "Are you really going to be at Crash Mansion Wednesday?"

Devin shifted just enough to take the notebook from her, glancing at the list. He gave her a grateful smile. "Yeah, I'll be there. Show's at 1000."

"Great! I really tried to get my roommate to come tonight but she had an exam tomorrow, but she should be able to come then!"