"Are you ready for some insane walking?" Miles asked as he nudged Danny.
Danny was obviously nervous and nodded stiffly. He was watching the many people pass him by. There were several guided tours of the campus, but many others were rushing around. "Are we going to join one of those groups?"
Miles grinned. "Only if you want to, but you will hear all the boring stats and historical jargon about the campus. It's interesting, but not the nitty gritty that gets you by."
Danny chuckled. "Ok. Then you're the official tour guide." He checked his phone. "Courtney and Rob are here."
As if on cue, a high-pitched yell sounded behind them. An auburn-haired young woman ran toward Danny and launched herself into a hug. Danny immediately relaxed and caught her, spinning her around.
It was easy to assume that this was the friend, Courtney.
"Can you believe we're here? Like actually here!" She jumped up and down excitedly. "We have been dreaming about Columbia for five years now, and here we are."
A young man rushed towards them and hugged Courtney's waist with a grin. Miles noted that he should be Rob.
"A dream come true." Rob chuckled. "How did you settle in with the asshats?"
Danny rolled his eyes with a groan. "Don't get me started on those assholes."
"You should have just moved in with us. I don't think you're one to tolerate those guys. They just want to join a frat and drink their way to graduation on their dad's dime." Courtney rolled her eyes.
"They're awful. I don't know how you'll get any studying done with those leeches." Rob frowned.
"About that," Danny shifted on his feet nervously. "It kind of fell through."
The air shifted between Courtney and Rob, becoming protective. "What did they do?" Rob asked darkly.
Danny glanced at Miles for reassurance and sighed. "Took my deposit and kicked me out before I moved in."
"I'm going to rip their balls off!" Courtney fumed while stomping her foot. "That settles it. You're moving in with us!"
"I—" Danny attempted to explain his situation but was cut off by both of them.
"Don't fight us. You want your independence, and we got a spare room." Rob said.
"And we know how hard you worked on that deposit, so you don't have to pay rent until you're back on your feet," Courtney added. "Just help us with our homework."
Miles stood back with his arms crossed. A small smile pulled at his lips because he had to admire their friendship and tenacity. They were good people, and he was happy Danny found his small tribe, who protected him fiercely. Everyone needed a group like this. He had it with Eve and Desmond, and now Danny had it with his friends.
"I have a place," Danny said, giving Miles a shy look. "My brother took me in."
Courtney and Rob both shared a disgusted look. Courtney placed her hands on her hips. "You will not rely on Will, Danny. He's douchier than the twats you were going to move into. I mean, I love you, but I have no idea how you're related to that guy. He's terrible."
"Tell me how you really feel," Danny joked with a slight wince.
"I'm putting it mildly, Danny. Will is not going to help you when you need it. He will lord it over you, get your father involved, and take away everything you worked hard to achieve." Courtney was practically pleading with him. "So please move in with us."
"You know she's right," Rob said. "And I'm not just saying that because I'm whipped."
Miles finally chuckled with a shake of his head. "They are right about Will."
Courtney and Danny didn't notice the extra person in their group and jumped when they heard his deep voice.
Danny frowned. "I'm sure he's not that bad."
Miles raised an eyebrow. "If I had to choose between a conversation with Will or the devil fucking me up the ass, I would choose the devil any day."
"The devil? Really?" Danny said with a stifled laugh.
"It was a bad comparison. I would actually enjoy a good dicking," Miles shrugged, and Danny groaned about wishing he had never heard that.
Courtney giggled and bounced on her heels. "Who are you?"
"The other brother." He held out a hand to shake hers. "Miles."
Her eyes widened, and she grinned. She ignored his hand and hugged him tightly. "I can't believe I am finally meeting you! Danny has told us so much about you. I didn't think you were that close to campus. He's living with you now?"
"He helped me when things fell through, so now I'm mooching off him." Danny looked sheepish when he explained it.
Miles rolled his eyes. "You're not mooching. I'm providing shelter, and you'll work your ass off getting good grades."
He reached out and shook Rob's hand. "Good to meet the both of you."
Courtney still grinned and nudged Danny. "I like your brother. Did he take all the sexy genes?"
Danny groaned again. "Stop checking him out. That's weird."
Miles laughed and tousled his hair. "She's right, though. I'm hella sexy." Then he paused. "Did I just reveal how old I am by saying 'hella'?"
"It's ok. We know you're old." Danny shrugged and elbowed his arm.
"Asshole," Miles quipped. "Come along, younglings. Let this old man show you around my alma mater."
He strolled around the campus, still familiar with the ins and outs that most would forget.
"Now, I can give you the spiel about the great history of Columbia—drone on about how this was the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York and all that jazz. But you're not here for the history. You're here for the opportunities."
He discussed some events the college typically hosted on campus to help with career development and volunteer opportunities for their resume. He explained the best places to look for those events.
Miles also showed them the best subway entrances and the halls they would have to be familiar with. He pointed out the most well-lit and safest paths to tread. He harked on safety while on campus. They joked that he was being paranoid but appreciated his diligence.
As he showed them the largest library, he talked them through the areas of studies they were considering. Danny had decided to set his path on literature after talking with Desmond. Courtney was on the fence about hers, leaning more toward mathematics or engineering. Miles took her around the campus area she would be familiar with, even stopping a couple of professors he knew to talk to her about her degree.
She was vibrating with excitement after her last discussion.
"Mathematics," Courtney said with a grin. "Definitely mathematics. If anything, I can be like that last professor you introduced me to. He was awesome."
Rob squeezed her hand. "I think that would be awesome."
They sat in the courtyard sipping their coffee. Miles watched the young trio talk about the majors and future. He was nostalgic, remembering when he was sitting in the same spot and talking to Eve and Desmond about their futures. Eve wanted to be a business owner, Desmond loved the idea of teaching, and Miles declared he would be the best DJ in the world. He dreamt of making the world know his name and listen to him.
Over ten years later, he was famous as Requiem. However, his name was still lost behind the mask. Perhaps it's still not too late to dream a little.
Rob broke him from his memories when he asked, "You said you went here for music?"
Miles nodded. "This was where I made my passion into a tangible career. I also made many connections here, people I still lean on."
Courtney was typing on her phone and beamed at Miles. "My cousin is offering to take us out for lunch. You have time to join us?"
Miles shook his head. "You go on without me. I need to meet with a couple of people about work." He squeezed Danny's shoulder. "You need a ride home?"
"Nope. I can catch a ride with them."
"When you get home, I may be working in the basement. I'll be in my own world, so I won't know when you get in."
Danny laughed. "Desmond warned me that you tune out the world when you work. I'll just send you a text."
He hugged Danny and then was practically tackled by Courtney and Rob. He was chuckling as he walked away. He turned back slightly when he heard Courtney give another one of her excited yells. He saw her jumping into the arms of an older man.
Miles could only see the man from behind but could tell that he was well-built and had silver lightly streaking his dark hair. He was tempted to walk back and introduce himself but stopped himself when his phone chimed with a text message. The professor he wanted to meet with and discuss licensing issues was free to meet now. He sighed and took off to the music building.
After a long meeting with old friends and a beer later, Miles was finally home. Danny messaged him hours ago to tell him he had made it home. Considering how quiet the house was, he knew that Danny was probably asleep at this time.
Miles beelined to the basement and switched on his turntables. The glow from his sample pads and computer made him smile. He had been itching to be in this room again.
He queued his music, and his turntable platters spun. He put an earbud in one ear and started with a warmup—simple scratches at a comfortable BPM.
He was in his world of creation and sounds. It was when his skin tingled, and his blood rushed with the beats. The sounds flowed through him, and the cuts worked seamlessly. His mixes transitioned and melded. He was on fire.
He considered going to bed. It was past the middle of the night and approaching fuck o'clock. But the music was speaking to him and needed to be shared. He removed his shirt, exposed his tattoos, and pulled his mask to cover his face. He flipped on his camera and set up his stream.
He hadn't streamed live for a long time, but he was always prepared for a show.
He waited for a moment, just playing some background music. He suspected that only a few would join to watch his live stream, mainly because of his inactivity and the odd hour. But his expectations were exceeded when thousands logged in and tuned into his stream.
His chat was littered with comments, most excited to see him again. He knew haters and trolls were slipping in, but they were quickly drowned out by the many others.
He pressed a sample button, and his distorted voice sounded in the speakers.
[Welcome to my stream]
Another button.
[DJ Requiem's mass is beginning]
Different things inspired the name Requiem. He loved Mozart's Requiem, and Penderecki's Polish Requiem was engraved in his soul. Both inspired him in different ways.
When he mentioned Requiem as a potential DJ name, Eve and Desmond joked that Requiem was usually something from a church's mass, and Miles wouldn't be caught dead in church. However, Miles replied that music was his church, so he was in mass when he was creating. This was why Requiem was an apt name.
The name stuck, but he had announced the beginning of his live streams with "Requiem's mass" to pay tribute to their small joke.
He created music for a few hours, never stopping and enjoying the flow. He danced to the music, rolling his hips to the tempo. He would trail his hand down his chest and stomach seductively, always stopping at the hem of his low-slung sweatpants. He knew he would get more comments and interactions with this showy display.
He was proud of his body and didn't mind showing it off. He also liked dancing and teasing, so he enjoyed playing with his audience. He could forget every issue plaguing Miles Mendez when making music and just let go.
When he wasn't dancing, he was bobbing his head to the beat. He never said anything to engage the audience, just hyped his viewers by using his music and his body.
When he finished his last song and faded out the music, he was panting, and his body was soaked with sweat. He gave a small bow to the camera and stopped the stream. He groaned as he peeled off his mask and collapsed on the couch. It was past six in the morning, and he had no sleep. He needed to catch up a few hours before he could get started on his day.
He dragged his tired body upstairs to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and chugged it down.
An excited Danny came bounding down the stairs with a bright grin. "You're up? Oh my god! You're up! Of course, you are! You work with Requiem, so you must have seen his stream. I can't believe he started streaming. It's been almost a year! I didn't believe it when I saw the notification."
He continued to gush about the stream while Miles was frozen in the kitchen with glass in hand. He hadn't slept, and he couldn't think clearly. He was still shirtless with every tattoo exposed. He knew his secret would be revealed if Danny looked a little closer. But he was running on fumes and couldn't think of a way out of this situation, so he could only silently pray that Danny was too distracted to notice.
However, that prayer would not be heard because Danny stopped talking, and his mouth was wide open. His eyes were stuck on his tattoos.
Shit.
Danny's shocked expression turned back into a wide smile. "Holy shit. It's you. You're Requiem!"