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Marc cheered happily along with his group of friends as they shuffled into the concert venue,
“I’m so excited!” Aurore shouted, “We actually got tickets to one of Alix Kubdel’s concerts!”
Mireille giggled, “You know, I actually heard the person doing the opening act for her was going to be a new artist!”
“Yeah, it’s their debut!” Jean jumped in, “I heard they’re actually friends and that’s why Alix is giving him that opportunity, even though he’s actually really bad.”
“Is that true or just gossip?” Marc questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“Gossip, probably,” Jean shrugged, turning towards the stage as the show began to start, “Not like a manager would let a nobody go on as Alix Kubdel ’s opening act.”
Everyone quieted down as the singer was introduced as Nathaniel Kurtzberg. A man with bright red hair and shining blue eyes walked onto the stage, seeming a little nervous, but still singing along as the backing track started playing.
Marc was immediately blown away as the song started blasting through the speakers. He couldn’t help but be laser focused on each movement he made and each word he sang.
Oh baby, love!
You and me!
Shine just like the stars and moon above
I’m yearning to explore with you, this ever growing feeling
It was a completely different genre from Alix’s punk music, sounding like pop. The lyrics were cheesy and felt like it could be part of any generic love song, but somehow the way Nathaniel sang it made it feel like the best piece of poetry on Earth. He was entranced by the pretty voice, and the equally attractive redhead.
It’s passion, love!
I believe!
You’re the one who holds the blame
Each time you say my name
Nobody was singing along due to it being a song that was unfamiliar, and while audience participation was usually one of Marc’s favorite parts when he watched videos of Alix’s concerts, he found that he didn’t really mind being able to focus on just Nathaniel.
There’s so much that I want to say to you
But I never do
The song ended with the singer smiling towards the audience, who broke out into applause. He ducked his head, his confident grin quickly becoming sheepish. Marc was still in awe as Nathaniel walked off stage, Jean nudging his shoulder to bring him back to reality as Alix came on.
Marc blinked, shaking his head to clear his mind of striking blue eyes and a charming smile. Right. He went here to see Alix perform.
Soon enough, Marc found himself singing along with the rest of the crowd as she waved for everyone to join in. Despite the loud music and Alix Kubdel, one of the most popular punk artists of the past couple years, literally right in front of him, Nathaniel stayed in the back of his memory the entire time.
—
Nathaniel smiled at his best friend as she came backstage after the concert, “How was it?”
“Great!” Alix grinned, nudging him with her arm, “What about you?”
He fiddled with the bangs of his hair, “Super nervous, but I only messed up a couple times, and I don’t think anyone noticed.”
Alix shook him a little bit, “See? Told you it was gonna be fine!”
Nathaniel laughed at her excitement. It felt like they were energetic teenagers again.
“You should join me for more shows!”
Nathaniel stammered, “I-I’d rather not! This was kind of big for a debut, of all things. I think I’m probably going to post the rest of my songs on streaming platforms for now.”
Alix huffed lightheartedly, groaning, “Fine, I guess. But after that’s done, you should join me again later!”
“Later,” He emphasized. Nathaniel felt so nervous from just that one show. Although, that was his first, so maybe it would get better in the future. Maybe he’ll try a live show again in the future. After all, Alix had always been so insistent on him joining her in the music industry despite their genres being so different.
As he remembered all the cheering people in the audience after he had finished, Nathaniel smiled to himself.
Yeah. Doing this again wouldn’t be so bad.
—
Marc had fallen for Nathaniel’s music hard . Within a day, he had already listened to the seven songs Nathaniel released on streaming sites enough that he memorized the lyrics. All of them were related to love in some way, with varying genres.
Honestly, Marc was a bit of a romantic himself, so the music appealed to him a lot. He couldn’t wait until the next song came out.
He hummed one of the tunes as he walked into the comic store, hoping to check out any new hero comics that had appeared. Marc glanced through the aisles as he walked past. Horror, Fantasy, Romance…
Marc paused, immediately backtracking to take a second look at the Romance section.
Nathaniel was standing there, happily looking at the stories on display. He looked up, directly towards Marc, speaking softly, “Um… Can I help you?” Marc squeaked, not quite knowing what to do. The other bit his lip and looked away nervously. “I- Um- I’ll leave-”
“No, wait!” Marc ran up, approaching Nathaniel, “You’re the singer who did the opening act for Alix Kubdel’s concert, right?”
Nathaniel blinked, surprised, “Oh? You know me? But, uh, yeah, I am.”
Marc beamed, “I listened to all your songs after the performance! You’re so talented!”
The redhead blushed, brushing his bangs behind his ear, “Thanks. That’s nice.” Marc glanced at where he was looking previously.
“Oh, are you reading that series?”
Nathaniel perked up, smiling, “You know it? I love it!” He sighed in bliss, “Someone who feels they’re incapable of being loved finds a person who helps them realize their own self worth. I love reading stories like that.”
“If you’re interested, I know there’s a comic like that in the Superhero section,” Marc offered. Nathaniel eagerly followed him over, grabbing the comic in excitement.
His eyes sparkled as he took in the details of the cover, expressing enthusiasm at reading it later once he scanned the summary on the back.
Marc watched him with fondness. They had only just met, but it felt like they clicked immediately. It was only a bonus that Nathaniel was cute, and he supposedly liked guys, according to the lyrics in one of his songs.
He stayed with the singer as he bought the comic at the register. Nathaniel turned to him once they reached the exit, handing him a bookmark. Marc looked at it confused as he took it.
“It’s a gift,” The redhead clarified, a soft smile on his face, “As thanks for introducing me to that comic.”
Marc felt his cheeks heat up, but he willed his blush down, “Oh, no problem.”
Nathaniel giggled, walking away with a little wave. Marc looked down at the object, turning it around in his hands. It looked like an ordinary bookmark.
His breath caught in his throat as he noticed writing on the back. There was a number written there with a tiny heart.
When did he…?
Marc looked up, making eye contact with Nathaniel, who was at the end of the street. The redhead winked, before turning the corner.
He sputtered, still at the entrance of the comic store, mind still trying to comprehend what just happened. The writer took a deep breath, staring at the number again with a shy smile.
Marc never ended up buying anything from the store, but he felt like he had gotten something better than a comic.