Notes: hi so we're here, a new chapter after the short wait of five months ! god guys i am so sorry, but hopefully you know what i mean when i say writers block. also if any of you are confused about the lack of chapters, i squished the previous three into one nice big chapter. if you see any mistakes that's because i suddenly was hit by the biggest surge of inspiration and wrote this in an hour. i've read through it a good few time, but it's not always easy spotting mistakes, so if you do spot one feel free to point it out.
thanks so so much for giving this chapter a chance, love you guysxx
In the bustling backstage area, crew and stewards hurried past. Dan could've sworn that he saw Dizzee Rascal walk past, but the thought both terrified and confused him. He had met a fair amount of "famous" people from Youtube, but spending time with actual, real life celebrities was different.
A man with a clipboard approached.
Soundchecks were scheduled to start in half an hour, they were told, and if they wanted to watch then they would have to go up into the stands.
It took all of Dan's strength to not cry as they took their positions in one of the highest stands of the Arsenal home ground. He glanced at Phil, who he noticed was staring at him. He looked away quickly, instead focusing his attention to the stadium.
It was massive, he remarked. Not that he'd expected anything else. The grass was completely boarded over, two large towers rigged with spotlights and speakers rising from the pitch, above two small tents. Dan guessed that that's where all the visuals and lights would be controlled from. There was an impressively long catwalk and at the end a large b-stage, enough to situate the band. And then it came to the stage itself. Breathtakingly large, the stage consisted of three main, triangular screens. There were strips of screen linking the three, and spotlights shone through the gaps. The stage itself had three tiers, the lower tier that was at audience height, the second tier where the band would perform and then the third tier where the drum riser was. Impressive. On either side was two winds where Matt or Chris could stand closer to the audience. The stage was topped with six white chimneys, which knowing Muse were probably flame thowers. Around the stage were massive white spheres, around seven metres wide. The whole set was a spectacle.
It was the first time Dan had seen the stage, having avoided the internet in case of spoilers and he was not disappointed. At all.
"So..." Phil said, and Dan jumped, so engrossed in his surrounding that he had forgotten he wasn't alone. "Are we going to talk about it yet?"
Dan knew what it was, yet really wished he didn't.
"I don't really think this is the time." He replied bluntly, peeking though his fringe to gauge Phil's reaction.
"I just want to know if it meant something." Phil admitted quietly, and Dan looked at him properly for the first time. When Phil adds, in a tiny voice "I wish it would" English suddenly seemed like his seventh language.
What to do, what to do.
Kissing him seemed too cliché, and words were failing him.
So he grabbed his hand and choked out something that vaguely resembled a "same".
Matt and Dom were completely back to normal. Apart from the sex.
It had taken them about ten minutes of talking to establish a few things. One; they were attracted to one another. Two; a shag here and there wouldn't go amiss, especially on long tours. There was only one thing left unspoken; they really wanted it to mean something.
It was obvious, especially to Tom, Chris and Morgan, that there was a tension between the two. It wasn't a bad tension, in fact more of the sexual kind. There were already bets placed on when the pair would give into aforementioned tension, ranging from less than twenty-four hours (Chris) to four weeks (Morgan).
The stage manager directed them onto stage for soundcheck, nerves already kicking crowd or no crowd. They had been informed of the queues around the stadium, and were far too aware of how many people there were out there listening.
"Oh my God." Dan nearly screamed, breaking from the kiss that he had been quite enjoying with Phil. "They're on stage!"
It was when Dom hit a drum and Matt took his place at the silver, upright piano on the b-stage that it became terrifyingly real. Chris pulled a few strings on his bass, Matt pressing a few keys on the piano before they launched into an instrumental version of United States Of Eurasia.
He heard Phil exhale shakily from next to him and he knew he'd done the same. Seeing Muse live was always the same, the perfect mix of beautiful music, stunning graphics, startling pyrotechnics and pure, raw talent.
The song was cut short, Matt moving from his piano and collecting his guitar from a technician. They watched as the piano was lowered through the stage, replaced with a small drum kit. Matt gave three test strums before leaping into the riff of Supremacy.
Dan came. Not far from literally.
The white chimneys exploded with flames, drums perfectly in time with each burst. Muse had really outdone themselves. The whole screen was pulsing, twisting and turning with flashing images of molten iron, twisting and turning onto the main screen in the centre of the stage.
They watched as the band continued soundcheck, shaking hands clinging together, breath far too fast to be healthy. Adrenaline was running high, excitement and nerves tripling with each stum of the guitar, beat of drum, pluck of the bass.
From his place on the stage Matt looked around. There was already a few people in the audience, crew, the support acts and the two fans that he was supposed to be meeting in just a short while.
The stage was really cool, he's admit. Far too expensive, but definitely way worth it, seeing as though the fans loved it so much. He heard the explosions of the flame throwers above his head, Chris and Dom's playing in his in-ears and all he could think was: I cannot fucking wait till there's a crowd.
They had played their four songs needed for soundcheck and made their way backstage.
The band had a word with Dom Anderson and Tom, confirming what the two already knew: the stage was fucking awesome.
"Great sounding venue." Matt remarked, nodding at Dom and detaching himself from the conversation with the blond.
He saw Chris nudging Tom and glancing at the couple and sneered at them. Chris rolled his eyes and flipped him the V.
He was about to aggressively snog Dom when the stage manager entered, clipboard in hand.
"They're waiting for you." He announced, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at the passage behind him. "It's all set up."
The three nodded, Chris looking disappointed at not winning the bet (yet) and headed towards the blue room.
"Fucking hell." Dan breathed, glancing round at the room they were in. They were facing a ping-pong table, the Muse logo printed clearly across it and four bats. "I can't fucking believe it, thank you so much Phil."
Phil chuckles. "You're welcome." He sounds quite composed but Dan can see he's not. He is paler than usual, a slight quiver to his hands and he's breathing a little faster than normal.
And then the door swung open and the two were rendered incapable because they were in the same fucking room as Muse.
kay so it's a cliffhanger again but that's to keep you all hooked, nice plan right? yeah ok
i'll try to get you another chapter and it will not be five months again, promise!