"Why am I so stupid?" Luna and Christian both hissed at themselves mentally. The two had just exited the dark, pulsing venue into the calm moonlit night, Luna hopping on one leg, her weight supported by Christian's shoulder.
Luna couldn't believe after years of crowd-diving experience, when it suddenly found epic importance, she botched it! Christian's first concert! The concert after Linc's first, where she swore she'd never screw up another loved one's first concert! And she whacked it up anyways! The whole time she was walked out she focused on the ground and not what she assumed would be disappointed eyes.
Christian couldn't believe that he had managed to do nothing: he was standing there, she dived onto him, but he just sat there and let it happen! Granted there was zero warning, and his emotions were going wild at that moment, but still!
...he sighed begrudgingly as he acknowledged that it was not remotely what happened.
"I'm gonna let you down, okay?" Christian warned. Luna nodded and felt herself lower onto the concrete curb. Silence reigned as neither said or did anything. They were preoccupied with the warmth and sharp emotions in their chests.
"Hey, I'm sorry dude." Luna broke the silence.
"What for?" Christian asked, swallowing his nerves. She didn't actually…?
"I jacked up your first concert, and now we're-"
"Who cares about the concert!? You're hurt!" He wasn't having it and pointed at Luna's booted foot.
"I care about the concert, man! I wanted you to have the raddest time of your life! And I ruined it by jacking up something I've done a zillion times before and-"
"Luna, dude, I had a great time!"
"How!? We were in there for like ten seconds!"
"It was like, at least five minutes, and those were the best five minutes I've had since getting here!" Christian finally joined her on the curb, tucking his legs into his chest. "You didn't mess anything up, end of discussion."
"But-!"
"No buts, end of discussion." Christian said, the final words scraping against frustration. Luna hung her head down and loudly sighed.
"Sorry if you're-"
"Dude, it's fine!" Christian firmly exasperated. He awkwardly began to laugh. "When are you ever this apologetic?" Luna felt red rushing to her face and turned away as far as possible without snapping her neck.
"I-I dunno...I mean, you mean a lot to me and I was worried you'd be like 'not cool, dude'. You kinda sounded like it too, so..." It was Christian turn to sigh and look away, the 'mean a lot to me' line really hitting home his guilt. He tried to beat it into the irrational side of brain that that wasn't how she meant it, but it still clung on despite himself.
"Sorry, I'm just frustrated you're all self-blamey."
"Bro, is that even a word?" Luna asked with a faint smile, still looking away. Christian however turned and faced her with a goofy smile.
"You know what I meant, you ass!" Luna boldly laughed, regaining her spirits. She finally manned up and faced Christian again, her chest getting excited more in the good way again. Christian looked at her calloused hand on the curb. Feeling, he grabbed her calloused yet comfortable (and for some reason sweaty?) hand and squeezed affectionately.
"You're fine, Luna! You didn't mess anything up, I promise." As much as she wanted to continue blaming herself, Christian washed away the bad vibes as he had done before. The rockstar took a deep breath and exhaled out the guilt. Despite not needing to anymore, they still felt comfortable and very happy to continue holding hands for however long they could.
But eventually they separated hands with great remorse. It was kinda corny, but they felt they had spaced out at some point. How long had they sat there, absorbing the other's eyes with their fingers intertwined.
"Is there someone we could call to get us home, since you're crippled now?" Christian asked.
"The Australians should come in handy. I'll text Luan and let her know what's up."
"Alrighty then, let's just hope we can pull this off."
"You and I? It'd be a miracle if the world could take us down!"
They were dropped off down the street from the house. Chivalrously, Christian helped Luna hobble on the sidewalk for a few seconds before he shook his head.
"Nope, this is too slow."
"Yeah, gimme a piggy back ride?" Luna asked. Christian suddenly got a shot of confidence (or maybe it was bravado) and grinned.
"Or I could do this!" Christian suddenly swept up underneath her legs and scooped her up bridal style. "This is way more efficient!" Luna laughed cheerfully, kicking her legs up and down like a child on a swing.
"You nerd!" Neither realized the other blushing so intensely and had been since they gotten out of the theater. But they were enjoying themselves far too much to care.
As they entered the backyard through the garage, they could see that there was a multicolored, multiknotted mish-mash of handkerchiefs hanging from Luan and Luna's bedroom window, ending in a loop perfect to slip a foot into.
"Psst, sis!" The rocker whisper-yelled as she landed on Earth. Luan poked her head out and waved. She tugged the rope behind her and gave a thumbs up.
"You gonna be alright?" Christian asked. Luna smirked and punched his shoulder for the millionth time since meeting.
"I'm sweating you sneaking in through the back door more than anything, dude." Her partner-in-crime smirked back and punched her shoulder right.
"Midnight snacking and stealth games have granted me Navy Seal powers, I'll be fine." The two stood there, smiling into each other's eyes. Slowly and tenderly, Luna leaned up and pulled him into a hug. He fluidly reciprocated, and the two held close. People often said that it felt longer, minutes or hours longer, that moments of connection lasted. To these two, it lasted just short of totally satisfying.
Don't get too into it, they warned themselves. No use risking anything so soon.
Looking down upon the two, the kooky gears in Luan's head started turning and grinding. She knew her sister, having shared a room together for the majority of their lives. Luna hugs with friends tended to be quicker and rougher. When the hype was turned down and she really cared about you, she was unapologetically soft and sentimental. When you were family, she gave you the hug she was giving Christian. But she also gave Sam that kind of hug when they-wait for the punchline...
Were dating. When Luna was head-over-boots for her.
Luan wasn't dumb, this could easily be her wanting to see the two's happiness blossom like squirt flowers on a summer's day. The loud, abrasive, party that was her sister in love with an easy-to-like, adaptable but apprehensive dork?
Oh god, she was shipping it now!
The other older sisters had to know.
A story below, the concertgoers separated begrudgingly. Luna slipped her foot into the bite and gripped the rope. She felt force lift her up as she looked down, back at Christian. He was still smiling, although it looked like it was fading a little. She looked back up and was already at the window. Luan pulled her through silently and shut it behind her.
"How are we gonna explain the sprain to Mom and Dad?" Luan whispered to Luna.
"Christian suggested we tell them I fell out of bed getting up tomorrow morn': he even said you could actually thump out of your bed for more 'authenticity.'" Luan nodded. It was a good plan, very devious, something akin to one of Lincy's plans.
Unconsciously, Luan began to grin. Nothing malicious, but certainly mischievous.
She could use a good planner like that.
Luna had gotten into her pajamas and into bed with Luan's help. It had been a few minutes, and she couldn't hear parents raised, disappointed voices. Her phone vibrated next to her and she snatched it up.
"I'm in like Flynn"
"wut?"
"I made it lmao"
Luna snorted. What a dork.
"sweet dude!"
"How's your ankle?"
"i'll live, lol,"
"You'd better!"
";)"
"O:" And then he texted again.
"Thank you for everything, I had the time of my life tonight, like I actually was a human being lol" Did she really do that much for him? Now her chest was all excited again. No way she was gonna sleep well, tonight.
"no problem dude!"
"C:" Before she could send him an equally cute face, he texted her again.
" watch?v=DFJXB-ZYTiI I know you're supposed to make me into a rockstar, but I feel like I should expose you to my kind of music. Specifically, the stuff that's perfect for past midnight imo. Consider it a ty present!" He was sharing music with her? The musician felt her cheeks flush. Thankfully her handy headphones were next to her. She plugged them into the phone, put them on, and then clicked the link.
It started off kinda funny, but when the song really kicked in, it was smooth like drink on tap. Every little beat, the soothing synth: combine it with the relative calm of the night, and Christian was dead on. She felt herself yawn, not realizing how effective the music was.
Christian mentioned this kind of stuff his first day here, and she was kicking herself mentally for not asking more about it: it was no rock, but it was a close second!
Or maybe that was Christian's influence over her kicking in, which was perfectly fine too.
She figured she'd always end up with another connoisseur of the fine art of rock and roll. She just didn't realize she'd have to craft him.
Again, perfectly fine. Like Christian.
Oh god, she was falling into that hole again. She didn't want to just be focused on the music and not the person, like how she felt with Sam.
Yet again, she met Sam through music. She met Christian through some universal-thermo-hypothetical mumbo jumbo Lisa tried explaining at the dinner table one time. She liked Christian because of how he acted, not how much of a fan of the same as her music he was. Which made her more optimistic about the odds.
It was seeing him play with Lily as if she were his own blood, and likewise with her. It seemed the whole family had the same feelings towards him. Except for maybe Lisa, Christian seemed to distance himself from her for whatever reason. Something to do with the science of it all, Luna bet.
That…and Lisa was a bona fide creeper sometimes.
...maybe she could go to his world one day, see all the differences for herself. Mick Swagger apparently didn't exist there, what other weird stuff did and didn't exist there?
Speaking of his world, he never really talked about it, huh? Or his family.
Maybe she could coax that out of him, like she had his wild side. One step at a time, though. With any luck, they'd be closer on some level.
Maybe even…close-close!
Then the music cut-off, and she realized how much of a mental tangent she had went on.
The music did that? Great, now she needed more.
"yo dude, that was rad! got anymore?"
"my dude, you has no idea :3c"