It all started because Pepper's mother didn't want her to travel with the rest of the band. (eventually: Adam/Pep, Wensley/Brian, Aziraphale/Crowley, Greasy/Pollution)

Adam is the lead singer and occasionally plays second guitar. Brian plays lead guitar and Wensleydale the keyboard; they both are back-up singers as well. Pepper can't sing a note but she's a wicked drum player. (I perhaps put a lot more thought into this than necessary.) Also featuring groupie!Crowley. Just kidding. Maybe.

Unbeta'd, though I don't think there are any mistakes, but if anyone would like the job... :D

Linear Reasoning

Part Two of Eight
In Which Brian And Wensley Have An Argument

"I could make you famous, kid, if you'd just--"

"We're a band, and we're sticking together, Mister Oozy."

"That's 'Ossay'--"

"So thank you, but no."

Adam very firmly showed the man to the door of the club. Oozy was a more accurate name; he oozed more charm than his hair oozed gel.

"But--"

"Good night, Mister Oozy."

Adam didn't slam the door shut, though he did wipe his hands off on his jeans.

One of the waitresses was sweeping up after the party and she raised an eyebrow at him. "Who was that?"

"Just some creep who wanted to be my 'agent.'" Adam snorted. "Like I'd leave the others for some stupid record deal."

The waitress' name was Julie. At one point she'd had a crush on Adam but had wisely remained quiet about it until it went away. She wasn't a fool after all.

Julie smiled softly. "You really watch out for them, don't you?"

Adam looked toward the back of the club where the others were getting the equipment packed away. You could hear Pepper yelling at the groupies even from that far away. "We watch out for each other." He gave Julie a smile. "So how did you like our show?"

"It was very good," Julie said earnestly. "Even better than last week's."

"Yeah?"

"Very yeah." She smiled a little foolishly, then realized what she was doing and got a grip on herself. "Er." Julie coughed. "Though the light show seemed a bit too much, especially during 'One Week To Live.' You might consider going back to the set you had the week before last."

"Really? Yeah... Yeah. You've got a good point. Thanks, Julie!" He grinned and clapped a hand on her shoulder. "You should join the music business."

Julie couldn't resist grinning back; Adam's cheer was very infectious. "Nice of you to say, but I like paying my bills, thanks. Not all musicians are overnight successes like you."

"Hardly overnight," he laughed. "Well, don't work too hard tonight. I'd better head off." Adam set off for the back of the club in a jog.

She watched him head off and sighed. Pepper was a very lucky girl.

Brian snapped the lid shut on the guitar case and gave it a final pat, like you would an old friend.

Brian believed in instruments like he believed in cars. Treat them well and they'll do the same for you. Treat them well enough and they'll probably last longer than you. And newer was definitely not better.

"Brian, take the amps with you when you store the equipment," Pepper commanded, fists planted on her hips.

Brian rolled his eyes, safe in the knowledge that his back was to her and she couldn't see his expression. "Sure, Pepper."

"And Wensleydale-- Wensley? Where'd he go?" Pepper gave an aggrieved sigh. "He did a runner again? Brian, go find him would you? And beat him black and blue for me, if it's not any trouble."

He grinned at the looks of fear and awe the groupies had. "Right."

"But put away the amps, first!"

"Right."

Wensley sat slouched on the old, lime-green couch in the backstage dressing room. It had probably been in the backstage dressing room since the club's creation, and had Wensleydale been paying more attention to his surroundings, he might have reconsidered sitting on its stained and ragged surface.

He had Adam's guitar held loosely in his hands as he stared into space.

Adam wrote all of their songs. The rest of them might have some ideas to add, but essentially Adam came up with the lyrics and the tunes. And really, it was better that way. Because Adam was more creative in one finger than the rest of the Them were combined.

Wensley idly strummed his fingers across the strings.

Sometimes, though, it was easier to just play, and not worry about thinking. For just a few minutes not care about still living with his parents, or managing computer networks, or possibly getting mugged in London, or his complicated friendships.

"Wensley, are you there?"

Wensleydale dropped the guitar onto the couch like it was a hot brick.

"Hey."

Adam absently laid an arm around Pepper's shoulders. She slapped it off just as absently.

"So?"

"Done. I told you he'd do anything I tell him to."

"No one would dare not to, Pep."

Adam grinned in spite of her dangerously raised eyebrow.

Brian entered the dressing room and found Wensleydale was picking up the sheet music that had been scattered around when they'd rehearsed.

"Just straightening up in here, you know how it goes." His smile was bright and brittle.

"Yeah." Brian stood at the door, expression carefully neutral.

"I bet Pep's after me." Wensley gave a stilted attempt at a laugh. "Pretty much done here, I'd better go see her before she loses her temper. And Adam forgot his guitar, I should give that to him as well, you know forgetful he can be," he babbled.

Brian's hand smacked into the doorframe in his attempt to keep Wensley from slipping past him. Wensleydale looked at the arm blocking the doorway in surprise.

"Can't you stay in a room with me for even a minute?"

Wensley bit his lip. "I don't know what you're—"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Brian hissed. "You think I'm that stupid? That I haven't noticed? That suddenly you're too busy to hang out with us. You're barely there for rehearsals and you leave as soon as possible after shows. Do you deny it?"

Wensley stared at the ground, unable to answer. And that was answer enough.

Brian let his arm fall to his side. It had been a busy weekend, ferrying all their instruments and equipment to the club, setting everything up, rehearsing, and then the performance. It had been a good show, but a tiring one. Now all that caught up with him and Brian just felt drained and tired. What was the point, really?

"Fine. I get that you can't stand the sight of me."

Wensleydale's gray eyes were wide behind his glasses and he was very pale. "It's not like that—"

"Isn't it? Ever since I came out, you've been avoiding me like the plague. And when you haven't you've been staring at me like I'm a cockroach."

Brian told himself it was just the bright lights that made his eyes sting. And there was Wensleydale, just standing there, and looking as trembling and white as the princesses they'd once imagined to rescue.

It made him angry.

Did Wensley honestly think he had chosen things to be this way? God, how much easier everything would be if he actually liked girls. But Brian wasn't going to pretend to be something he wasn't just to make things easier. He wasn't going to live a lie.

"I understand, all right?" Brian said sharply. "I understand that it's fine for other people to be gay, right, but not one of your friends. Too close for comfort? Maybe I should just crawl back under the rock I came from!" His voice rose as he was speaking and was shouting by the end.

"Stop it!" Wensleydale grabbed Brian by the shoulders, shaking him to emphasis his words.

Brian stared at him in astonishment and at the same moment Wensley seemed to realize what he'd done. He loosened his painful grip immediately, but didn't let go.

"Stop—stop talking like that."

"It's true, isn't it?"

"No, it isn't!" Wensley looked back at him defiantly. "You surprised me, is all."

Brian snorted disbelievingly.

"No, listen." He let go of Brian and, frustrated, ran a hand through his short, dark hair. "It's the four of us, you know? It's like... if we've got each other, we don't need anybody else. I know I don't have any close friends except for the three of you." Wensleydale shook his head. "I'm not really sure what I'm saying. I guess it's just that I was upset that I didn't know this about you. I mean, we're supposed to be best friends."

"I worked real hard to hide it," Brian said quietly.

"Still..." Wensleydale shrugged. "It confused me. I mean, I thought I knew what kind of person turned out to be gay. But... if you're gay, then anyone could be."

Brian raised his eyebrows quizzically. "Well, yeah. That's the whole point, Wen."

"Yeah." Wensleydale smiled sheepishly. They both stared at the floor. "Um. Shall we start again?"

Brian smiled—- it was tired and lopsided, but a smile nonetheless. "Hullo Wensley. I'm gay."

Wensleydale gave him a look of mock surprise. "But you're so tall!"

Adam and Pepper entered the room to find the two laughing so hard they were leaning against each other for support.

"Well, finally," Pepper said with a smirk that was only slightly tinged with relief.

"Wanna let us in on the joke, boys?" Adam grinned with no sense of relief at all, because he hadn't any doubts that Brian and Wensleydale would work out their difficulties. Most of them, anyway.

"Jeremy. Jeremy! Dinner's ready, honey!" Wensleydale could hear his mother call up the stairs.

"Sharon, leave the boy be. He's old enough to take care of himself." His father's voice.

"But he eats so little, it's barely enough to keep a bird alive..." Whatever Mister Wensleydale's reply was, his son was unable to hear it.

Wensley lifted his head up and led it fall back onto the desk with a thud.

Real brilliant, Wensleydale. Thud. Alienate your best friend. Thud. Ruin the social dynamics of the Them. Thud. Miss rehearsals and not be prepared for shows. Thud. Real brilliant.

He stopped hitting his head on the desk and leaned back in the computer chair. "It seemed like a good idea at the time," he muttered to himself. Wensley put his glasses back on and rubbed his aching forehead.

He wasn't going to avoid Brian anymore. No matter how uncomfortable it might make him feel, it wasn't fair to Brian or the rest of Them.

With a heavy sigh, Wensleydale got up from the chair to flop down on his bed.

He had lied to Brian, about why he'd been avoiding him.

Wensley curled on his side, hugging his pillow to his chest.

If you're gay, than anyone could be.

To Be Continued...