The concert had been bittersweet, and Mandy lay staring up at the ceiling. She'd only seen Curt for a moment, only gotten a brief hug and hurried words. Then he'd been off, slinking away before she was sure he was gone.
Brian had been there. Not long, and she didn't know if Curt had seen him, but she had. He'd watched Curt writhe and crawl and walked away. And that was really the most telling thing of all. It had been a last plea, a last song, and Brian had rejected it.
Mandy still tingled from Curt's hug. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered, falling restlessly to sleep.
Knocking woke her up. She blinked, confused, and heard Curt, muffled, on the other side of the door. "Mandy? Mandy, open up." Mandy almost fell getting out of bed and stumbled over to the door, sliding back the lock.
Curt looked terrible, his eyes haunted. He crushed her into a hug and kicked the door shut, clinging to her as though afraid she would vanish. Mandy wrapped her arms around him and held tight, waiting in silence for an explanation.
"That kid," he murmured against her hair, and Mandy knew, suddenly, why he was here. She moved in his arms, needing air, and Curt released her, shoving his hands through his hair, then into the pockets of his jacket. "I'm sorry. I should go."
She rolled her eyes and dragged him towards the bed. "Don't be silly, Curt. Take off your boots." He obeyed and she shoved off his jacket, trying not to be distracted by all the bare skin of his chest. His hands fell to the laces of his pants and hesitated.
Shrugging, Mandy brushed his hands away and undid them herself. Slick skin against her fingers, and Curt blushed and lifted himself up to push them down. "I feel dirty... could we?" He gestured to the bathroom and Mandy nodded, shucking her clothes eagerly and leading the way.
Hot water and Curt's palms against her skin, but nothing happened, and Mandy told herself silently not to be too disappointed. Curt needed to talk, and had no one else. Wrapped in fluffy robes and towels, they returned to the bed, and Curt picked up Mandy's brush and absently started on his hair.
"I... he just..." Words were failing him, and Mandy touched his lips.
"He looked like Brian."
Curt nodded miserably and motioned with the hairbrush. Amused, Mandy presented him her back and felt his gentle strokes through her wet mane. Her scalp tingled, but Curt was still talking, so Mandy listened. "I, you know, gave off all the right signals, and he followed me up to the roof. He was high, sort of, and I fucked him. I don't even know his name and I fucked him because he happened to look like Brian." He hit a snarl and Mandy hissed. "Sorry." Patiently, he worked it out, and she thought wryly how some people would never believe the gentleness he was capable of.
"It happens, darling." She patted his leg and heard him shaking his head. Droplets flew all around the room and Curt brushed away the few that fell on her shoulders.
He dropped the brush onto the nightstand and drew her back against his chest, touching his mouth to her shoulder, and the vibrations tickled her skin and bounced off her ribs. "You didn't."
Mandy shivered and managed a small laugh. "Shows what you know."
Freezing against her back, Curt let his breath out slowly and squeezed her tight. "You did?"
Bitter laughter rang in her ears, and Mandy hoped that it didn't sound mocking to Curt. "It's hardly the type of thing one brings up in casual conversation. 'Hi Mandy, how's your week been?' 'Oh, not so bad, Curt. I found this guy at a bar who looked something like Brian so I got him drunk, took him home, and fucked him senseless.' I don't think that would have gone over well." She wiped her eyes, wondering if she could pretend the tears were from the shower they'd taken. "Besides, I wasn't proud of myself."
"No. Me neither." Curt was holding her more gently now, and she turned in his embrace, not caring that her towels rode up when she did. She had a question on her tongue, but he sealed his mouth over hers before she could ask it.
The terrycloth between them vanished, and Mandy grabbed tight to the headboard as Curt rocked into her, slow and steady and just exactly the way she had dreamed it for so long. Only it was better than her dreams, because he wasn't going to vanish into thin air when dawn came. And he didn't.
Brian had been there. Not long, and she didn't know if Curt had seen him, but she had. He'd watched Curt writhe and crawl and walked away. And that was really the most telling thing of all. It had been a last plea, a last song, and Brian had rejected it.
Mandy still tingled from Curt's hug. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered, falling restlessly to sleep.
Knocking woke her up. She blinked, confused, and heard Curt, muffled, on the other side of the door. "Mandy? Mandy, open up." Mandy almost fell getting out of bed and stumbled over to the door, sliding back the lock.
Curt looked terrible, his eyes haunted. He crushed her into a hug and kicked the door shut, clinging to her as though afraid she would vanish. Mandy wrapped her arms around him and held tight, waiting in silence for an explanation.
"That kid," he murmured against her hair, and Mandy knew, suddenly, why he was here. She moved in his arms, needing air, and Curt released her, shoving his hands through his hair, then into the pockets of his jacket. "I'm sorry. I should go."
She rolled her eyes and dragged him towards the bed. "Don't be silly, Curt. Take off your boots." He obeyed and she shoved off his jacket, trying not to be distracted by all the bare skin of his chest. His hands fell to the laces of his pants and hesitated.
Shrugging, Mandy brushed his hands away and undid them herself. Slick skin against her fingers, and Curt blushed and lifted himself up to push them down. "I feel dirty... could we?" He gestured to the bathroom and Mandy nodded, shucking her clothes eagerly and leading the way.
Hot water and Curt's palms against her skin, but nothing happened, and Mandy told herself silently not to be too disappointed. Curt needed to talk, and had no one else. Wrapped in fluffy robes and towels, they returned to the bed, and Curt picked up Mandy's brush and absently started on his hair.
"I... he just..." Words were failing him, and Mandy touched his lips.
"He looked like Brian."
Curt nodded miserably and motioned with the hairbrush. Amused, Mandy presented him her back and felt his gentle strokes through her wet mane. Her scalp tingled, but Curt was still talking, so Mandy listened. "I, you know, gave off all the right signals, and he followed me up to the roof. He was high, sort of, and I fucked him. I don't even know his name and I fucked him because he happened to look like Brian." He hit a snarl and Mandy hissed. "Sorry." Patiently, he worked it out, and she thought wryly how some people would never believe the gentleness he was capable of.
"It happens, darling." She patted his leg and heard him shaking his head. Droplets flew all around the room and Curt brushed away the few that fell on her shoulders.
He dropped the brush onto the nightstand and drew her back against his chest, touching his mouth to her shoulder, and the vibrations tickled her skin and bounced off her ribs. "You didn't."
Mandy shivered and managed a small laugh. "Shows what you know."
Freezing against her back, Curt let his breath out slowly and squeezed her tight. "You did?"
Bitter laughter rang in her ears, and Mandy hoped that it didn't sound mocking to Curt. "It's hardly the type of thing one brings up in casual conversation. 'Hi Mandy, how's your week been?' 'Oh, not so bad, Curt. I found this guy at a bar who looked something like Brian so I got him drunk, took him home, and fucked him senseless.' I don't think that would have gone over well." She wiped her eyes, wondering if she could pretend the tears were from the shower they'd taken. "Besides, I wasn't proud of myself."
"No. Me neither." Curt was holding her more gently now, and she turned in his embrace, not caring that her towels rode up when she did. She had a question on her tongue, but he sealed his mouth over hers before she could ask it.
The terrycloth between them vanished, and Mandy grabbed tight to the headboard as Curt rocked into her, slow and steady and just exactly the way she had dreamed it for so long. Only it was better than her dreams, because he wasn't going to vanish into thin air when dawn came. And he didn't.