Chapter Text
I know the fucking part
He didn't know how long he has been sitting on the uncomfortable stool of the recording room but he managed to imagine it was a considerable amount of time since his ass started to get cramped. He tried what Derek suggested; recording both guitars but he knew deep down, and so did David, that it wasn't the same.
Slowly, very slowly, he rose from the stool, leaving his guitar on the stand and, trying to act natural while he leaned on the stack of amps behind him. The cramps were getting really annoying as they fade, quite similar to a medieval torture method David thought.
Another disastrous session. David wanted to say but it was better to keep that to himself.
He chose to blame Nigel. He was the only one to blame really because they could have done a lot of work by now if it wasn't for the distant attitude he decided to have today, making a heavy and dense atmosphere which was very difficult to work in, even daring to say it was his lovely Jeanine who was creating that atmosphere but she wasn't, she just was sitting in the recording room because she enjoyed hearing David play, and on top of that she was helping (or so was trying if Nigel only let her) with the guitar harmony parts. When she didn't feel like it sounded right, she would say it but of course Nigel always wanted to pick up a fight instead of hearing her opinion. Needless to say, he was being horribly rude to both of them. Whenever David would ask for help, Nigel just made a gesture with his hand pointing Jeanine saying something like 'Ask Her'. They weren't really connecting today and David decided it was all Nigel's fault. He was the one who started the argument, not David.
But what puzzled David was that Nigel never had a passive- aggressive attitude before, specially not with him so obviously something was wrong but he didn't want to put up with that attitude anymore. Not now, not today, he felt he couldn't cope with it, but again... he was never like this...
That realisation managed to push all his anger aside for a few seconds, but as soon as he remembered him referring to Jeanine as 'Fucking Wife', his final conclusion was that Nigel was behaving like a spoiled brat, like an infant and he didn't miss the chance to let him know causing him to storm out of the room, and, as if their argument wasn't bad enough already, he gave David a cold stare and left. That's why he had been sat on the stool for the past... whatever minutes or hours.
He could give a thought about his whereabouts or even go after him but he didn't, because the truth was that David wasn't caring too much about Nigel lately, not like he used to, but he didn't know exactly why though, he just wasn't. He felt like he shouldn't anyway because Nigel was a grown man, a 27 year-old man who still behaved like a child and David didn't had the time for all that, maybe he once had it but not now. He just couldn't, him and Jeanine were cultivating something serious, something that required time and responsibility, like a pet and that was their relationship. It was time to settle down, and unlike his lead guitarist who preferred stay single because he couldn't handle anything by himself, David had found someone. He suddenly realized that he really didn't care about what Nigel has been up to or what he thinks or says anymore and although he wouldn't admit it, that thought was scaring him a little because he still considered Nigel his best friend and for Christ Sake's, he needed him for the band, but something was just off with their relationship and David couldn't take care of two relationships simultaneously. He might not have explicitly said it, but it was more than obvious he made a decision here, about what relationship was more important.
Speaking of which, his poor girlfriend has been talking to him for the past 15 minutes and he has done nothing but zone out thinking about that childish twat who shouldn't have any room in his mind in moments where he was with Jeanine. But for what David could hear in between thoughts, she was talking about meeting up with a monkey later on the evening or something like that which, at first, puzzled him but then he thought that maybe she needed to see a monkey to inspire her art somehow.
But what really made him snap out of all his divided thoughts was Derek's voice who spoke through the speakers and through David's headphones making him jump a bit but thanks God no one noticed it.
"Jeanine, love. The phone, is for you. She says to be your auntie" Derek spoke softly, as he always was when he addressed to her making David wish Nigel was like that with her too. He wouldn't suffer that much about having to be split in two.
Oh, it was 'auntie' not 'monkey.
"She's already in town! I will back soon and when I do we will continue, alright?" And after a kiss she left the room leaving David feeling lonely but in a weird way this time. Like when a teacher dismiss you from a stressful class but you wanted to stay to try to understand the subject but the teacher knew you were having none of it and at the same time you wanted to leave the class? Something like that and he wondered why he was feeling like this. He should feel sad because she left, shouldn't he? But the thing that was really worrying him was that she said they would continue when she gets back.. but.. to continue what? He missed half of what she was saying. He really felt bad for that but that feeling vanished instantly when he did give a thought about Nigel's whereabouts this time.
"Is it too much trouble to look for him?" The speakers didn't reproduced Derek's voice but only his headphones this time. He didn't know what button he pushed, Derek always had an affinity with the control room. Sometimes more than the actual producer.
"I'm not his babysitter Dere-"
"Do I have to remind you we are all friends still?" He asked with a superiority in his voice but it was only to snap David out of his anger. But Derek's voice was soft and understanding, just like if he was talking with a child who did something wrong.
"He used to be" David said in the microphone, his blue eyes zoned out again, feeling how what he just said actually made his chest ache.
"C'mon now, none of that. We are stressed out that's all. I say you should go, after all you inspire each other" Honestly, Derek reminded David of his mother sometimes. Such a soft and quiet authority he had that you wouldn't think he was telling you what to do but he was and David couldn't refuse.
"Not anymore. He always wants to be right, you know?" David spoke softly and irritated. Why he should go? Fuck him, Nigel was the one who was being rude and unpleasant all day. He never apologises for how he treats Jeanine but when David heard Derek's long and heavy sigh, he figured out that maybe he should do what he asked. "I'm going now." As he said that, he left the headphones on the microphone stand as if it was some kind of phone tube and reluctantly walked towards the door for then dissappear into the hallway.