Blur Imagines

Jealous (Graham Coxon/Damon Albarn) [Part I]

   I walked around the flat that I shared with my boyfriend, Damon, getting things together for his surprise party tomorrow. It was his birthday, and I wanted to put something special together for him since he's been so amazing since we've been together. Since Alex had offered to take Damon out tonight, I figured this was the perfect time to get everything set up. I was in the kitchen removing snacks and drinks from bags when I heard a knock at the door.

   I knew it was Graham. I had asked him to pick the cake up and bring it to me, and help me with the party. Graham was the one I was closest with in the band, other than Damon obviously. I saw him like an older brother; whenever I needed help, he was always a phone call away.

   I opened the door to find Graham, cake in one hand, and one hand buried in his pocket. He flashed a grin at me, and I stepped to the side so he could come in. After putting the cake down on the kitchen counter, I reached for a hug.

    "Thank you so much for helping me with all of this." I said, pulling away from his tight hug. "It really means a lot."

   "Anytime, love." He replied. With both hands placed in his pockets, he began to scan the room, looking at all of the decorations, food and drinks I had bought.

   "All of this for Damon's party tomorrow?" He asked, looking at the pile on the kitchen counter. "You're really going all out for this."

   "Well, yeah." I said, smiling and playfully rolling my eyes. "Damon really deserves it, don't you think?"

   "Yeah..." He said, slightly trailing off. "He's brilliant."

   I got up on my wooden stool to reach a container that was stored on the top of the refrigerator. The stool slightly wobbled underneath my bare feet, causing me to lose balance slightly.

   "Let me help you there." Graham said, quickly coming over, grabbing my hips to steady me.

   "Thank you." I said, his hands still on me as I stepped off the stool.

   I looked up at him, and he stared at me with this sparkle in his eyes I hadn't quite noticed before. Once he realized that he was still touching me, he quickly removed his hands and ran his fingers through his hair, his eyes darting across the room nervously.

   "Do you, um... need any help with any of this?" He asked.

   "I think I got it, actually." I said, pretending not to notice how odd he was acting. Graham was sometimes nervous, but not usually around me. Maybe he had something on his mind, and he needed someone to talk to, as a distraction. "Did you want to hang out for a bit, or are you busy?" I asked.

    "No, I'm not busy, I can stay." He said, taking a seat at one of the bar stools at the counter.

    I smiled, and unveiled a bottle of champagne from my shopping bag.

    "I got this extra special for Damon, maybe for a special night after the party." I said, turning the bottle and admiring the packaging. "This is supposed to be the best champagne you can buy in London. I think he'll love it."

    "Yeah, he's really lucky." Graham said, picking at the skin of his fingers.

    I put the bottle down on the counter, and looked at him with a bit of concern.

   "Graham, are you alright?" I asked. "You seem... I'm not sure. Stressed? Nervous?"

   Graham looked down at the counter, nervously tapping his foot on the leg of the chair he was sitting on.

   "You can tell me, you know. We tell each other everything. You're one of my best friends." I said.

   He looked up at me, and with hesitation in his voice said, "To be honest, I am quite nervous."