Chapter 7
The next day Gil woke up late and all but flew out the door. He sped to the bar and calmly walked inside, running a hand through his hair. The stage was empty, and he looked surprised. Scanning the room for the blonde he saw him at the table.
Leaving his guitar on the wall he walked over and sat down.
"Hello…" he said sitting down
Arthur's hair was messy like he didn't bother doing anything with it when he got up. His white shirt was wrinkled and his jeans had torn knees. He wasn't sure if that was on purpose or not either.
Arthur didn't acknowledge Gil, and just drank his rum.
Gil got a little worried about him, and sat down. "Arthur…hey man what's wrong?"
"I'm lonely. And sad. And broken. And unloved." He said sadly, and very seriously
Gil frowned "That's not true…"
It wasn't. Gil cared about him… and didn't want him to be sad or broken… Because they were friends!
That's how friends worked…
Friends really don't want their buddies to be lonely and unloved and broken…
"How…did you get over it?' Arthur asked quietly
He snapped back to attention "I played sad songs… and I talked to you."
He nodded and finished his rum "Can…I play one song before you go on?"
Gil smiled and nodded. When they first met he would have said no and threw the Brit out of the bar… funny how relationships form.
Arthur got up, grabbed his guitar and jumped on stage, he lacked his fire, sadness clung to him. He started picking out chords to 'Shattered' by Trading Yesterday[1].
"And I've lost who I am
And I can't understand
Why my heart is so broken
Rejecting your love
Without love gone wrong
Life
Less words
Carry on
But I know
All I know
Is that the ends beginning
Who I am from the start
Take me home to my heart
Let me go
And I will run
I will not be silenced
All this time spent in vain
Wasted years
Wasted gain
All is lost
Hope remains
And this war's not over
There's a light
There's the sun
Taking all the shattered ones
To the place we belong
And his love will conquer
And I've lost who I am
And I can't understand
Why my heart is so broken
Rejecting your love
Without love gone wrong
Life
Less words
Carry on
But I know
All I know
Is that the ends beginning
Who I am from the start
Take me home to my heart
Let me go
And I will run
I will not be silenced
All this time spent in vain
Wasted years
Wasted gain
All is lost
Hope remains
And this war's not over
There's a light
There's the sun
Taking all the shattered ones
To the place we belong
And his love will conquer all
Yes his love will conquer all…"
Gil sat there and listened. It was…an odd song to pick, mostly because how it ended, or rather how Arthur ended it. He cut it short, stopping before the break and last stanza. It sounded fine, especially if you didn't know the song. And even if you did…the way Arthur sung it…so soft, so sad, his heartbreak rang through the words.
And what the hell did he mean by 'His love will conquer all'? If he was talking about Alfred that didn't make much sense…from what he had heard, it sounded like those two were not getting back together.
They…they just couldn't get back together! It was like Pangaea…once separated it can't go back together.
Thinking about that he realized if he was a good friend he would hope Arthur would get his man back…but he hoped the exact opposite.
And he didn't know why.
Arthur came back and sat down at the table, looking down, quiet.
Gil sighed and got up to play. He played 'Met You Yet' by Michael Buble for Arthur. He wanted to cheer him up. Eliza wasn't Gil's perfect match…he hasn't met his yet. He wanted Arthur to see that too.
Then he did something he usually didn't do. Cover a song by a girl. All his music was a cover of male singers. But he has seen it done before, and he started to play 'Try' by P!nk.
It was a good song…sad but true. You can't love without being hurt. And just because you get hurt by love doesn't mean to give up. He had to try. Now Arthur had to try.
He got a pretty good reaction with the song so he started to play 'Give Me a Reason' by P!nk again, though it featured a male, Nate Ruess.
He never actually did duets, especially alone…it was awkward to sing two different peoples parts, but he did manage it and it sounded decent.
He picked that song mainly because neither one of them was 'broken' they...were bent. Bent but not broke. And dammit they were both going to love again.
It hit him then.
He… didn't want Arthur, that stupid punk rocker, with his stupidly stereotypical acts and clothes to be alone…or sad…or with Alfred.
Gil didn't want to be his friend…he…he wanted to be more.
He…really wanted to…be with him. That's why he was over Eliza…he had unknowingly fallen for the Brit.
They both lived the crazy musicians life… they clearly understood the lifestyle. They knew each other for nearly two months by now…Arthur was stupid of course but…he was a good musician and he was hot… and he was funny…odd but… hey everyone was a little weird.
Liking a guy didn't really bother him. Anything went in the music business. Plus he had already done the whole guy on guy thing, he was cool with it.
But damn…he was…interested in the man! His luck really couldn't get much worse! He loved a heart broken man!? He had no chance!
He started to play his last song, 'All or Nothing' by Theory of a Deadman.
"When I first saw you standing there
You know it was a little hard not to stare
So nervous when I drove you home
I know being apart is a little hard to bare.
Send some flowers to your work in hopes
That I'd have you in my arms again
We kissed that night before I left
Still now that's something
I could never forget
You've got all that I need
Looking at all or nothing
Babe it's you and I
With you I know that
I am good for something
So let's go give it a try
We got our backs against the ocean
It's just us against the world
Looking at all or nothing
Babe it's you and I
Looking at all or nothing
Babe it's you and I"
Gil smiled slightly. That song worked, it calmed his racing mind too. He sang what he felt and even better, Arthur couldn't ask him about it. That made that deal, never ask about song inspiration.
He finished and jumped off the stage. Arthur was looking up at him, and Gil had the feeling he hadn't looked away the entire time he was playing.
There was a question in his deep green eyes, but he didn't voice it. Gil sat down and stole his rum, taking a drink then wrinkling his nose.
"How can you drink that?!"
Arthur glared but it was fake "You bloody idiot don't steal me rum!"
Gil gagged "That tastes terrible! My tongue just died!"
Arthur grumbled "Karma's a bitch ain't she?"
He laughed and got a beer, the two of them sat together for another hour at least before parting ways.
By the end of their conversation two things had happened.
One, Arthur seemed much happier.
Two, Gil accepted the fact he was rather hopelessly in love with Arthur.
Well that is that! Any thoughts?
