Chapter Nine
Curt Wild was in pain. It was there for all to see, in his beautiful eyes and his rumbling voice. The lights danced off his naked torso and his platinum hair. His eyes were ringed with smudged black eyeliner, and it emphasized his murky, unfocused eyes. Arthur watched him, mesmerized. He felt his body swaying to the hypnotic rhythm, but didn't dare take his eyes off the gorgeous singer kneeling on stage.
Until a blond woman weaved her way through the crowd, focused on Curt. He eyes shone with tears and her arms were wrapped tightly around herself. Arthur stared at her until he realized who she was. Mandy Slade.
He, like most other Brian Slade fans, had never paid much attention to Mandy, especially after the advent of Curt. Their wild, crazy love seemed much more passionate than anything a mere wife could feel. But as he watched her, with her eyes tightly closed to block out tears, and realized she of all people had suffered for Brian's sins and delights.
Mandy's eyes moved suddenly to the left. Arthur followed her gaze to the side exit. Standing there, blanketed in shadows, was Brian Slade. He was hidden under a heavy coat, but his pale face and the tendrils of blue hair escaping his large hat were unmistakable. His eyes were focused on Curt. Then slowly, he adjusted his collar and turned away. Arthur had never met Brian Slade, but he knew, from the look on his face, it would be the last time he'd watch Curt.
Brian's retreating back disappeared through the door and Arthur looked back to Curt. The song ended with Curt collapsed onstage, and Arthur guessed that the blond hair hiding his face hid his tears as well. "God, what I'd give to meet him…" Arthur murmured, eyes focused on the performer.
"Go on then… Introduce yourself!" Pearl urged from beside him.
Arthur's eyes widened and he glanced at Pearl. "What… What would I say?"
"'Hi, I'm Arthur Stuart. I want to shag you senseless.'?" Ray asked with a grin. Arthur elbowed him and Ray cringed. "Ow."
"If you're gonna go, go now. That way you can get backstage before a crowd," Malcolm directed.
Arthur nodded and obeyed, slipping backstage and leaning against the wall. He waited anxiously, having no clue what to say or do. It was Curt Wild, after all. Curt bloody Wild, how was he supposed to act?
And then he was there, striding back stage and there was no room in his head for thought. His mind was full of Curt- the sleek muscles of his chest and arms, the perfect planes of his face, the anguish in his beautiful eyes.
Before Arthur had a chance to say anything- or nothing, which would probably have been the case, since he was a spineless ponce- a woman pulled Curt into an embrace. It took Arthur a moment to realize it was Mandy Slade.
"That was really beautiful," she said tearfully.
"Yeah?" Curt asked, his voice so soft in comparison to the raw power he exuded on stage.
"Yeah," she replied, her smile at odds with the tears streaming down her face.
"Thanks," he murmured, as if that compliment meant more than the adoring fans screaming for him. "Did you see…" he trailed off, but it was plain to Arthur exactly what he meant.
Mandy hesitated, then lied. "No, I didn't see him."
Arthur couldn't tell if it was disappointment or relief on his face. Curt looked away from Mandy- straight at him. Their eyes met, and a jolt of electricity shot through Arthur. His breath quickened as he stared into Curt's stormy eyes. He smiled tightly and tried to look away, only to find he couldn't. Curt blinked first and looked back at Mandy Slade. "Come on, I'll buy you a drink." He led her away from Arthur- but not before glancing back at him, the look on his face caught between fascination and anticipation.
*
The night was going well. The music was amazing and exhilarating, and after, Malcolm found himself chatting easily with the bartender from the Last Resort, a well muscled fellow named Alex who he'd been "drooling over for months" in Ray's words. It turned out they had a lot in common. Well, not so much, but it was worth faking to get the wickedly good looking man in bed.
Just as the conversation was getting somewhere, Arthur grabbed Malcolm's arm and tugged him away from the blond man. "Sorry," he said breathlessly.
"Arthur!" Malcolm whined, nearly tripping on his platforms as he was dragged away.
"Curt Wild wants to sleep with me," Arthur blurted.
Malcolm silenced the rebuke on his lips and instead gasped, "What?"
"He's waiting on the rooftop. For me. Curt Wild is waiting for *me*. What do I do?" Arthur asked, looking panicked.
"Curt, obviously!" Arthur looked confused and Malcolm shook his head. "What do you want to do, Arthur?"
"I don't know. I've never… I mean, I haven't…" He bit his lip and looked down, finding his shoes very interesting.
"Arthur," Malcolm said gently. "Do you want to go up there?"
He lifted his head and nodded. "Yes."
"Then why are you waiting?"
"This makes it official. There's no going back," Arthur murmured.
"It's who you are. There is no back." Arthur bit his lip then smiled and nodded. Malcolm laughed. "Go on."
Malcolm watched as Arthur took off through the back door. He caught the door before it swung shut and his eyes followed the boy as he disappeared onto the roof.
"See anything interesting?" Ray asked lightly, coming up behind Malcolm.
"Our little Arthur is up there with Curt Wild," Malcolm said, gesturing to the roof.
Ray grinned. "He's gotta grow up sometime, Mal."
Malcolm nodded. "Didn't think it'd be so soon though."
The two looked at each other and laughed. Ray asked, "So, Alex, huh? Finally got him?"
Malcolm laughed. "Looks like it."
"So what'd you put in his drink?" Ray replied nonchalantly.
Malcolm laughed and threw a mock punch, which Ray ducked easily. Then he slung an arm around his friend. The door slammed behind the two as they headed back inside to rejoin the extravagant party that was about to end forever.
Curt Wild was in pain. It was there for all to see, in his beautiful eyes and his rumbling voice. The lights danced off his naked torso and his platinum hair. His eyes were ringed with smudged black eyeliner, and it emphasized his murky, unfocused eyes. Arthur watched him, mesmerized. He felt his body swaying to the hypnotic rhythm, but didn't dare take his eyes off the gorgeous singer kneeling on stage.
Until a blond woman weaved her way through the crowd, focused on Curt. He eyes shone with tears and her arms were wrapped tightly around herself. Arthur stared at her until he realized who she was. Mandy Slade.
He, like most other Brian Slade fans, had never paid much attention to Mandy, especially after the advent of Curt. Their wild, crazy love seemed much more passionate than anything a mere wife could feel. But as he watched her, with her eyes tightly closed to block out tears, and realized she of all people had suffered for Brian's sins and delights.
Mandy's eyes moved suddenly to the left. Arthur followed her gaze to the side exit. Standing there, blanketed in shadows, was Brian Slade. He was hidden under a heavy coat, but his pale face and the tendrils of blue hair escaping his large hat were unmistakable. His eyes were focused on Curt. Then slowly, he adjusted his collar and turned away. Arthur had never met Brian Slade, but he knew, from the look on his face, it would be the last time he'd watch Curt.
Brian's retreating back disappeared through the door and Arthur looked back to Curt. The song ended with Curt collapsed onstage, and Arthur guessed that the blond hair hiding his face hid his tears as well. "God, what I'd give to meet him…" Arthur murmured, eyes focused on the performer.
"Go on then… Introduce yourself!" Pearl urged from beside him.
Arthur's eyes widened and he glanced at Pearl. "What… What would I say?"
"'Hi, I'm Arthur Stuart. I want to shag you senseless.'?" Ray asked with a grin. Arthur elbowed him and Ray cringed. "Ow."
"If you're gonna go, go now. That way you can get backstage before a crowd," Malcolm directed.
Arthur nodded and obeyed, slipping backstage and leaning against the wall. He waited anxiously, having no clue what to say or do. It was Curt Wild, after all. Curt bloody Wild, how was he supposed to act?
And then he was there, striding back stage and there was no room in his head for thought. His mind was full of Curt- the sleek muscles of his chest and arms, the perfect planes of his face, the anguish in his beautiful eyes.
Before Arthur had a chance to say anything- or nothing, which would probably have been the case, since he was a spineless ponce- a woman pulled Curt into an embrace. It took Arthur a moment to realize it was Mandy Slade.
"That was really beautiful," she said tearfully.
"Yeah?" Curt asked, his voice so soft in comparison to the raw power he exuded on stage.
"Yeah," she replied, her smile at odds with the tears streaming down her face.
"Thanks," he murmured, as if that compliment meant more than the adoring fans screaming for him. "Did you see…" he trailed off, but it was plain to Arthur exactly what he meant.
Mandy hesitated, then lied. "No, I didn't see him."
Arthur couldn't tell if it was disappointment or relief on his face. Curt looked away from Mandy- straight at him. Their eyes met, and a jolt of electricity shot through Arthur. His breath quickened as he stared into Curt's stormy eyes. He smiled tightly and tried to look away, only to find he couldn't. Curt blinked first and looked back at Mandy Slade. "Come on, I'll buy you a drink." He led her away from Arthur- but not before glancing back at him, the look on his face caught between fascination and anticipation.
*
The night was going well. The music was amazing and exhilarating, and after, Malcolm found himself chatting easily with the bartender from the Last Resort, a well muscled fellow named Alex who he'd been "drooling over for months" in Ray's words. It turned out they had a lot in common. Well, not so much, but it was worth faking to get the wickedly good looking man in bed.
Just as the conversation was getting somewhere, Arthur grabbed Malcolm's arm and tugged him away from the blond man. "Sorry," he said breathlessly.
"Arthur!" Malcolm whined, nearly tripping on his platforms as he was dragged away.
"Curt Wild wants to sleep with me," Arthur blurted.
Malcolm silenced the rebuke on his lips and instead gasped, "What?"
"He's waiting on the rooftop. For me. Curt Wild is waiting for *me*. What do I do?" Arthur asked, looking panicked.
"Curt, obviously!" Arthur looked confused and Malcolm shook his head. "What do you want to do, Arthur?"
"I don't know. I've never… I mean, I haven't…" He bit his lip and looked down, finding his shoes very interesting.
"Arthur," Malcolm said gently. "Do you want to go up there?"
He lifted his head and nodded. "Yes."
"Then why are you waiting?"
"This makes it official. There's no going back," Arthur murmured.
"It's who you are. There is no back." Arthur bit his lip then smiled and nodded. Malcolm laughed. "Go on."
Malcolm watched as Arthur took off through the back door. He caught the door before it swung shut and his eyes followed the boy as he disappeared onto the roof.
"See anything interesting?" Ray asked lightly, coming up behind Malcolm.
"Our little Arthur is up there with Curt Wild," Malcolm said, gesturing to the roof.
Ray grinned. "He's gotta grow up sometime, Mal."
Malcolm nodded. "Didn't think it'd be so soon though."
The two looked at each other and laughed. Ray asked, "So, Alex, huh? Finally got him?"
Malcolm laughed. "Looks like it."
"So what'd you put in his drink?" Ray replied nonchalantly.
Malcolm laughed and threw a mock punch, which Ray ducked easily. Then he slung an arm around his friend. The door slammed behind the two as they headed back inside to rejoin the extravagant party that was about to end forever.