There was nothing to feel sorry over. Blue knew they hadn't done anything wrong. Their honesty should not have been something to fret over since they knew they were in the right and Andrew was in the wrong. It was the fact that they caused him pain when they didn't mean to that bothered them. He chose to stay up all night, because he knew their text lingo so well that he wasn't sure if they were actually safe or not. It was touching, but there was nothing for him to stress over.
Even when they lived with Luke, he never worried about them being out late. He knew Blue had to suffer long, late nights to keep up with their music expectations, and since getting the band's name out there was the main goal, he accepted it so long as they kept their grades up. Since they always made sure to keep up with their schoolwork (minus the one roadblock after Hayden's departure), there was no reason for Luke to worry. He only asked that they wouldn't make a lot of noise whenever they came home in the early hours of the morning.
Andrew wasn't used to it yet. He didn't understand that Blue was prone to falling asleep in random places, causing Aiden to be the one who would usually text any responses regarding their whereabouts. Music was nonnegotiable for Blue, so if Andrew wouldn't be able to handle it, they would move out. They wanted to make it big enough to get their name out there so when it was time to settle down, they would be able to run a successful music practice with Aiden. It was their dream, and if it became a problem for Andrew, they would leave and never look back.
Though they would be seated at a piano the whole night, Blue still knew it was important to dress to impress. After all, before and after the show, as well as during the intermission, they would be walking around the bar and talking with the people who purposefully came out to support them.
So Blue pulled out their tight, black skinny jeans, black t-shirt, and their long black trench coat. After tying the laces to their tan boots, they slipped on their fingerless leather gloves and began to apply some silver eyeshadow, a thin layer of black eyeliner, and a coat of dark violet lipstick. Their short brunette hair was gelled back and over with one little piece dangling in front of their forehead. Winking at their reflection, they grabbed their backpack and exited the bedroom.
Andrew remained seated on the couch, hanging up the phone once he spotted Blue walking down the stairs.
"Finally finish another call with Luke?" they snarled, brushing past them to head to the kitchen.
"No," he answered. "My editor. And what did you mean-"
"No," they demanded. "Not before a show, okay? I cannot be thinking about the argument we are clearly about to have before I go up there, alright? I cannot afford it."
"Fine," he bit. His gaze fell to the counter, his hands clenching onto the back of a barstool. "But can we at least talk when you come back?" he asked, his voice soft and pleading.
There was a lot they wanted to say as well, a lot more they needed to get off their chest. Figuring there was no harm in it, Blue shrugged. "Depends on if I stay at Aiden's or not."
"Is that what usually happens after a concert?"
"Depends on how late the show goes, the time it takes to pack, whether or not a lot of people come out to see us. It varies night by night," they explained. "If I were to come back, it probably wouldn't be until...two, three at the latest."
"And where is this?"
"Green Hill."
"The bar?" he gasped, and they nodded. "You play at bars? Aren't you too young to? Isn't that illegal?"
"Didn't you start drinking when you were fourteen?" they deadpanned.
"That's different. I drank with my nanny because it seemed to be the only thing he was any good at," Andrew defended, and after he heard it out loud, he had to agree with Blue that it didn't seem like a reasonable argument. "But you still need to be careful."
"Why? Because I'm so innocent and shit?" they spat.
"Drunk men can and will get handsy. I've dealt with it firsthand."
"Yeah, yeah, I've already dealt with it before, too. The nice thing about this bar is that they don't tolerate that behavior, so they kick out the punks whenever someone's getting too handsy. There's nothing to worry about."
"You say that, but I am still going to worry. I can't help it," he stated.
"Then learn to stop," they whined in exasperation before exiting the suite.
Maybe it was a bit rude to say that. It wasn't as though Blue hated how Andrew actually did care about them and wanted to make sure they were safe, but it leaned towards the romantic feelings they would never be able to receive from the man.
"So he wants to talk now?" Aiden questioned as he applied his own layer of eyeliner. Makeup wasn't something he enjoyed wearing on a daily basis, maybe occasionally depending on his outfit of the day. But whenever he was on stage, wearing a simple layer of eyeliner boosted his confidence tremendously.
"Not surprised he does," they mumbled. Planting their feet back on the floor, they leaned back against the ripped leather sofa. To the side of the stage, there was a small section for band members and their personal crew to sit and hang out during the show. Only their two stagehands were back there with them, but with them finishing setting everything up on stage, it was only the two of them talking.
"Could be positive," he suggested optimistically.
"Could be?" Alister questioned. He grew up with the two, though he attended a different high school. That would change in the fall when the three went to DePaul together. However, Alister was a dancer, and whenever the band needed someone to help get people on the dancefloor, he easily got people on their feet. When he wasn't dancing, however, he was helping as a roadie, setting up the stage and packing equipment. "Everything okay with Luke?"
"This isn't about Luke," they exhaled.
"His best friend is their new roommate, and it seems he wants to talk."
"And that's bad because?" Alister asked.
"He's been flirting with them, and they snapped and told him to back off earlier this morning."
"Is he cute?"
"Incredibly," they exhaled. "But he's in love with Luke. Just because he's flirting with me-"
"Doesn't mean he likes you, yeah, yeah. Listen, men may flirt mindlessly with people, but if he was in love with your brother, why would he attempt to ruin his friendship with the boy by flirting with his little emmer?" Alister pointed out. "If he was in love with the boy, he wouldn't want to jeopardize the friendship he has with Luke by flirting with you. Even if it's just a little bit, there has to be some sort of feelings there."
That seemed to be harder to hear than the idea that Andrew didn't like them. The possibility that he may have actually like them, that he wanted to hold, touch, and kiss them because he actually liked them was desirable. But Blue was Luke's emmer, and for all they knew, he could have been using them as a way to get over Luke. The liking could have been merely out of convenience.
"I don't want to think about that."
"Hey, guys," Layla, one of the bartenders, addressed to the trio, "they're ready for you."
Blue and Aiden faced one another, nodding before stepping onstage. The moment they walked out, almost everyone began to erupt into applause. It wasn't the first time they'd performed at Green Hill, most likely their tenth. People would come to hear them, because each time the two of them had performed, whether it was with the full band or not, they did not disappoint.
Waving to the people in the crowd, Blue could have sworn they spotted Andrew in the crowd. Holding their hand up to block the stage lights, they spotted Andrew sitting at a table near the back by himself. When he knew they were staring at him, he smiled and waved softly to them.
Their whole composure slowly relaxed, and their smile expanded. He came, and Blue didn't even ask him to. Luke had only been to a handful of their concerts, and he only came when they personally asked him to come, while Andrew came by his own volition. He watched them with a bright smile and let out of a small holler, causing them to chuckle before facing Aiden.
"Hello. We are Rosebud, for those of you who don't know us," he addressed to the crowd.
Right away, Blue played the intro to Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me by Elton John. Aiden's vocals soared through the crowd, knowing that starting off with a few songs the audience knew would be the best way to excite the crowd and gain their attention. It always did. After several songs, they felt it was finally the time to play their newest original song.
Right away, Andrew could tell the song was written by Blue. The lyrics had their signature ring to it. It was heartbreaking, a song about lovers who seemed to have grown apart.
"I'm not someone who gives away their heart. Your vow fell through, and now I've fallen apart. I count the days till I may see you again, but I should know by now this is the end."
Such sorrowful lyrics he could easily relate to. He knew what it meant to have a lover leave, but he was determined more than ever to make this one last.
At the end of the song, Andrew was the one to clap the loudest. It could have been from the hot stage lights, but he was sure the tint on Blue's cheeks was because of him. The duo announced they were going to take a break. Rather than talking to a few fans in the front who ran up to the two, Blue slipped through them to talk to Andrew.
"What are you doing here?"
It didn't come across as rude since the smile on their face was not faltering. It was merely quite the shock to see him sitting there, staying to watch the show since the beginning. Luke would only stay for a few songs before he'd need to leave. Blue couldn't blame him, as he did work early morning hours, so he surely would have wanted to go home and sleep. But Andrew was there, and it didn't seem like he was intending to leave anytime soon.
"I wanted to hear your band. You're incredibly talented." Reaching out, he grasped onto their leather-coated hand. "You wrote that song, right?"
Their smile finally fell, and they nodded diligently. "Yeah. I just wanted to come over here and thank you for coming."
"You have to leave?"
"You're not the only one who came to see me," they chuckled. "If I don't greet the others, they'll know I'm playing favoritism."
He smirked. "So now I'm your favorite?"
Playfully slapping his shoulder, they laughed. "Shut up."
Before they could walk away, Andrew grasped tightly onto their hand. "You're still coming home after the show, right?"
Letting go of Andrew's hand, Blue didn't answer as they walked away. They already gave him their answer, and they wondered if he only came to make sure that they did come home right after the show so they could talk. Maybe he didn't actually want to hear their music. Maybe it was all about him and what was convenient for him. It was nothing but another reason to support the idea of moving out.
After a twenty-minute break of talking with fans and family who had come to see the duo perform, they both walked back onto the stage. The second half of the show was always the most traumatizing. Blue knew their voice wasn't up to par. They could easily hold a tune after hours of practice, but their voice still wasn't the best. It was husky like their normal speaking voice, but it added a unique sound to their music. Whether the music the two sang together or not was the right fit for their voice, they would find out once their professional vocal training began. In the meantime, it was short duets and background vocals.
But there was one song Blue and Aiden were in love with that neither of them could perform a show without singing: Something Stupid. A love song that they felt matched their voices perfectly. Sure, Blue's voice wasn't the melodic tune people assumed for the song, but it was still a breathtaking piece they were able to wield.
Everyone loved it, so at least when they sang lead on the song, it wasn't a catastrophe. Some people would even come up to them after the show and tell Blue they should sing more often. But instrumentals were their forte. Their voice may have been good, but it was not leading vocal quality. Nothing like Aiden's melodic voice.
They continued to play until midnight when it was finally time for their set to end. They bowed and thanked the audience for coming out, and the duo approached Aiden's family. Since Blue didn't have a family who could make it periodically, his was a stand-in family during the show. And since Blue thought of Aiden's family like their own, it was moral support well received.
"Oh, you two were absolutely outstanding," his mother beamed and kissed both of Blue's cheeks. "Oh, so beautiful. I love all your songs."
"Hopefully the world one day will," they commented.
"Oh, they will," Andrew spoke from behind them. Everyone turned around to face the author, and though Aiden's parents recognized him, he only gazed down at Blue with such pride in his eyes. "You were outstanding."
Blushing down at their shoes, they muttered a simple, "Thank you."
"Yeah," Aiden agreed as he wrapped an arm around their shoulder, yanking Blue into his side. "They are quite the songwriter, aren't they? So proud of you." Leaning down, he delicately kissed the corner of Blue's lips.
Andrew did not like it. Hell rose in his eyes the moment he saw him kiss Blue, prompting him to rip them out of his arms. Aiden stared up at Andrew in shock, as did Blue. And when he looked down at them, he, too, was surprised by the way he acted. Unable to stop himself, he properly grabbed their hand and dragged them out of the venue and to the car.
"Hey!" Aiden called out, but Alister held him back.
"That's the guy, right?" he clarified.
"Yeah, but-"
"Then relax," he chuckled. "Clearly, I was right, because just looking in his eyes, you can clearly tell that he is in love with Blue."