A/N: AU! I'm using the La Boheme names, 'cause that's a lot cooler. Besides, that also gives me... space to create the story. If you don't know the names, you can either figure it out, or you can look it up in the Wikipedia article- Rent(musical). Enjoy, read and review. Thank youu.
Disc.: I don't own RENT, Jonathan Larson does. Bless him.
-oxo-
Marcello stared into the flame of the candle he was holding. He thought it strange of how many comparisons he could create by just staring at it- why couldn't his inspiration for his painting come so easily? He furrowed his brow, and sighed.
Marcello was around the bonfire, accompanied by Rodolfo, the poet, Mimi, his lover and a seamstress, Musetta, Marcello's ex- lover and a singer, Colline, a philosopher, Schaunard, Colline's lover and a brilliant musician. The only one not by the bonfire was Alcindoro, Musetta's lover, who had left earlier for town. Musetta was not really bothered by this, instead she shamelessly flirted with Marcello.
Musetta. My, my, what a mystery. She flirted with other men when she and Marcello were lovers, and now that she had left him for Alcindoro, she continued flirting with other men. I guess she will never change.
He'd never tell, but Marcello still loved her. He always would. Musetta was just.. Ah, he didn't know how to put it. Vivacious, he supposed. She was always lively; never ceased to amaze him. Never the same. Always changing, always in motion.
Marcello painted a portrait of her, and her beauty still took his breath away, when he looked back at it. Every time. He could never be over her, was it possible to just make all those moments with her... fond memories? Not now maybe. Maybe years and years from now.. But not now.
He stared up into the stars. The Bohemians were in the woods, in the midst of traveling. The outdoor scenery was serene and inspirational, just not inspirational for Marcello. Mimi had been Rodolfo's inspiration, as Schuanard was Colline's. The stars twinkled, like it was saying be patient, wait for it.
Marcello looked back at his candle. The flame was larger than it was previously, so he decided to place the candle in a lantern before the hot wax dripped onto his hands. He stared into the lantern's light, feeling the slight warmth it emitted. After a while, he noticed that it was starting to attract moths. The moths seemed that they couldn't resist going towards fire, reluctantly pulled in. Marcello wondered, did they want to go towards it? Was it against their will? Or.. Was it an actual desire, to be part of the intense passion before they died? The more Marcello thought about it, the more he realized I'm not alone.