Note: Joey is canonically a total hippie (especially in the animated series but also in the 80's comics) and Mal would totally be too. This AU just seemed fitting for the ship.
Mal is referred to with they/them pronouns in this fic.
The world had become a blur of smoke and colors, intermingled with the twang of guitars and soft voices. Within and without, Mal wondered, which were they? With each soft step they took, grass tickling their feet as they walked, they seemed to pass from one state to the other.
Even off stage, free of the lights and gazes of thousands of eager eyes, Mal was still sweating. Their tie-dyed T-shirt clung tightly to their chest.
Mal's eyes widened when they got to The Titan's van, and for a moment they clutched their trumpet tighter. Taking slow steps, they carefully walked forward, one hand on their wooden necklaces to keep them from rattling.
Their laughter broke through the still silence that had set over that side of the field. Joey's eyes widened, and he sat up slowly, guitar still clutched to his chest. He never raised a hand, though he raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips.
"It's nothing," Mal said. "I..." They shook their head. "Just the stress getting to me."
What, they wondered, would a thief even find in there? Unless they were desperate for dirty clothes and homemade necklaces, then they weren't going to be making off with much.
The van's back was filled with old pillows, blankets that hadn't been washed in months, half melted candles, and crumpled papers full of scribbled lyrics to unfinished songs. Joey seemed oblivious to the mess, hardly caring what he touched, his legs stretched out as far as they would go. Mal sat down carefully, keeping their leg as far from certain objects as possible.
"That was quite a concert tonight," Mal commented. "Can you believe that they asked for an encore?"
Rose and Kole had stayed behind to deal with the thongs of new fans. It had taken a bit more work for Mal to slip away then it seemed that it had for Joey, but the mobs had mainly been aimed at the girls anyway. If needed, Rose could forge Mal and her brother's signatures.
Joey shook his head. He looked up, his green eyes gleaming in the weak light of the candles. Slowly, a small smile crossed his face, one that Mal couldn't help but return.
"This really might just be our big break." They let out a sigh, their heart racing just a little faster. When Kole had finished singing her final song, the whole crowd had started cheering. The voices were still ringing in Mal's ears.
They shut their eyes. Oh yes, they could see London, Paris, and Berlin already. The cities would be a thousand times better than how they looked in magazines, Mal just knew it. There would be crowds hundreds of times bigger cheering The Titans on. Money wouldn't matter, not really, but at least there would be something to eat besides noodles and canned beans most nights.
"I still can't quite believe it." Mal's voice shook. "I never thought that people would be so happy to hear us."
Joey smirked and raised his hands, his thin fingers stretching.
"L," he began to sign, then continued. By the next two letters, Mal was ready to throw their trumpet across the van.
"The audience did not just like us because they were dropping acid!"
Joey snorted, an airy laugh-like noise leaving his nose.
"I'm just saying," Mal said, leaning back further and waving their hand around absently. Though, judging by the earlier smell, the audience certainly had been enjoying some sweet grass. "You know, you played really well out there."
Joey nodded, then motioned back to Mal.
"Thanks, Joey. You're right, I did do pretty good myself." They chuckled.
Save for Joey strumming on his guitar, the van was silent. It was hard to believe that the concert had taken place only a little over a mile away. The walk to and from the van had been both the longest and shortest of Mal's life. The only other people out this far was another van, with darkened windows, and a Ford station wagon whose sides were covered in multi-colored paint splatter. Both seemed empty, and if not the drivers at least had the decency to let the crickets sing in peace.
Mal wasn't quite sure when the music stopped or the sound of the rubber soles of Joey's sandals began squeaking, but soon the light was blotted out, and Mal could only look up to see Joey standing over them. His outline glowed orange from the candlelight, and Mal could just barely make out the wistful smile stretched across his face.
Mal motioned him forward.
They had to admit, the best part of the concerts wasn't when fans were screaming or even when they were playing. It was one thing to blow on a trumpet and totally another to blow on... Well, Mal and Joey weren't that far ahead yet that night.
Joey's hands were hard, the years of playing instruments ingrained into his calluses. He smelled faintly of cigarette smoke and flowers, a rough smell that Mal breathed in greedily. It was hard to get any alone time, not when Rose and Kole had to share the van with the other two. It was mere decency to keep things out of their eyes; love was free, but that didn't mean that everyone wanted to see it.
No, Mal thought as Joey slowly lowered his teeth against their neck, the best part was always now. The present moment was always better than when Joey and them were last together, each savored second sharper and yet somehow softer than before. The summer heat wasn't what was making Mal sweat, nor was it the distant cheer of fans ringing in their ears that sent adrenaline rushing through their blood.
No matter how many times Mal had run their hands over Joey's body, there was always something new to discover. As they quickly tore off the man's shirt, the other grabbing at the garment and pulling at it so fast that Mal wondered how he didn't rip it, Mal noticed another tattoo. There truly was always something new to find on his body, inked or not. Flowers and song lyrics, birds and geometric patterns - Joey had a little bit of everything. Even with the heat, Mal could feel goosebumps rising up Joey's skin.
It was times like these when the rest of the world melted away, the universe becoming both suddenly small and infinite. If the world was only Joey and them, then they didn't mind. Music still echoed through Mal's ears, the soft tune of a gentle voice that was not his own.
Mal's own heart beat slower the faster that Joey's did, a steady sound that echoed through Mal's ears. Joey's grip tightened slowly against them, the pair's bodies moving as close to the other as they could.
Somewhere, a clock ticked on as the two greedily clutched at what few moments they still had.