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This face, in relief
Those eyes are all I’ve ever seen
Their latest gig had ended on a high note, with the audience still buzzing with the remnants of their dark, melodic energy. The night had been nearly perfect—nearly being the keyword.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Adam couldn’t resist. A playful grin spread across the guitarist’s face as he turned to Jordan, mischief dancing in his eyes.
"So, about that note you totally butchered during the show..." the blond haired began, his voice dripping with mock seriousness.
Jordan shot him a look, half-amused and half-exasperated. “Oh, come on, it wasn’t that bad,” he protested, trying to keep a straight face but failing as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. The synthesizer player was already halfway across the flat, eager to collapse into bed. Nonetheless his mind suddenly replayed the performance. He knew exactly what Adam was referring to. In the midst of their newest song, Jordan had missed a note—a small mistake, almost unnoticeable to the crowd, but glaringly obvious to him and Adam. He had felt a pang of frustration in the moment but had forced himself to move on, determined not to let it ruin the flow. Now, though, with Adam’s playful jibe, it all came rushing back.
Jordan threw himself onto the bed, ready to let the exhaustion of the night wash over him, pressing his face into the pillow with a miserable groan. Adam’s grin only widened as he sauntered over to the bed, his lanky form folding onto the mattress beside Jordan.
Just as Jordan knew it would happen, Adam started teasing, poking Jordan’s side lightly. Jordan couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto his lips, pushing Adam’s hand away. But Adam was relentless, sensing that he had hit just the right nerve.
Slowly, Jordan turned his head to face Adam, his eyes narrowing as he sat up slightly. “Oh, you’re not going to stop with that, are you?” he said, his tone light, tinged with a mixture of annoyance and affection.
“Well, I mean, it’s not every day that Mr. Perfection over here makes a mistake,” Adam taunted, poking Jordan’s side lightly again. “I’m just wondering if we need to start rehearsing a bit more?”
Jordan rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on, it was one note. I recovered,” he retorted, grabbing Adam’s wrist to stop him from further assaulting him.
“One note that could have shattered the entire performance,” Adam said dramatically, pulling his hand from Jordan and clutching his chest as if wounded. “The crowd might have rioted if I hadn’t covered for you with that killer riff.”
Jordan let out a huff, somewhere between a laugh and a scoff. “You’re impossible, you know that?” he said, shoving Adam’s shoulder playfully. But Adam was ready, grabbing Jordan’s wrist and pulling him closer, their faces inches apart.
“You are walking on dangerous ground,” Jordan murmured not averting his gaze.
“Am I?” Adam retorted with a challenging look.
“Shouldn't you be more careful? Jordan raised an eyebrow, puzzling Adam for a moment. Jordan knew exactly how ticklish Adam was. He smirked and Adam’s eyes widened, but before he could react Jordan was already on him jabbing at Adam’s sides, who yelped in surprise, jerking away with a grin already forming on his face.
“Oh, you’re asking for it now!” Adam laughed, his voice hoarse from the gig still but filled with playful challenge.
Jordan barely had time to react before Adam lunged back, pinning him to the mattress with a grin. But Jordan wasn’t going down without a fight. He wriggled beneath him, managing to free one arm and reach up to ruffle Adam’s hair, causing him to laugh even harder.
Adam tried to trap Jordan’s wrists above his head, but Jordan slipped out of his grasp, retaliating with a ticklish jab to his ribs that made him collapse in giggles.
“You’re too fast!” Adam gasped between laughs, his grip on Jordan loosening as he tried to catch his breath.
Adam's height gave him the reach advantage, his long arms swinging with precision, but Jordan was a step ahead, his movements swift and calculated, quick to jab Adam's ribs, the impact solid but controlled, just enough to let him know he’d landed a hit.
Adam grinned, impressed by Jordan’s speed, but not deterred. He adjusted his stance on the bed, trying to use his reach to keep Jordan at bay. The exchange was fast and intense, both of them pushing each other to their limits. Their laughter filled the room as they rolled across the bed, sheets tangling around their legs in the playful struggle until they collapsed back facing each other.
Adam’s jaunty expression faltered after some time, replaced by something deeper, while they finally regained some much needed air. “You’re really not going to let me win, are you?” he murmured, though there was no real frustration in his voice—just a quiet acceptance of the fact that with Jordan, it was never just about winning or losing.
“Not a chance,” Jordan replied softly, his hands holding onto Adam’s. “But I think you like it that way.”
Adam’s smile returned, this time softer, more genuine. “Maybe I do,” he admitted, his hands covering Jordan’s, fingers pressing into them gently. “But don’t expect me to go easy on you next time.”
Jordan chuckled softly, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Adam grinned, lying side by side, their faces were just inches apart. “Good. Because I think we make a pretty great team, even if you do mess up a note now and then.”
Jordan rolled on his back, groaning in mock annoyance, but couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. “You’re never going to drop that, are you?”
Adam shook his head, the teasing glint back in his eyes. “Well, you didn’t let me win.”
Jordan laughed as he settled into the comforting rhythm of being together with Adam. “You’re impossible.”
“And you like it as well,” Adam grinned, his hand gently tracing patterns between them on the sheets.
Jordan smiled, leaning slightly up, “Yeah, yeah, I do.”
“So, you can admit it now,” Adam said softly, his voice a low purr, “You were off your game tonight.”
Jordan couldn't believe it. The playful tension between them started to gain momentum again, crackling like static electricity. “Never,” Jordan whispered defiantly.
Adam moved closer. “Oh, I think I saw a fan wince,” he riled Jordan up, reviving their game.
Jordan couldn't help but laugh. “You’re such a liar,” he said, pushing Adam playfully.
Adam, always quick to respond, grabbed Jordan’s hand before he could pull away. “I’m just saying,” he continued with a smirk, “maybe next time, we should work on our cues a little more.”
Jordan narrowed his eyes, pretending to take offense. “Oh, so now it’s ‘we’ who messed up?”
Adam chuckled, tugging Jordan closer. “I’m just trying to help you, really,” he said, his tone mockingly earnest.
“In what way exactly?” Jordan questioned. “You just like teasing me because I’m better at this than you.”
Adam grinned, his eyes shining with affection and amusement. “Better at what, exactly? Play-fighting or playing the wrong notes?”
Jordan’s eyes widened in mock outrage. “You’re asking for it!” he straightened himself up.
Before Adam could react, Jordan grabbed a pillow and lobbed it at him, hitting him square in the chest. Adam let out a feigned gasp of indignation, instantly pushing himself up as well, grabbing another pillow and launching it at Jordan with a bit more force. The soft thud of feathers meeting fabric filled the room as Jordan retaliated, and within moments, they were in the midst of a full-on pillow fight.
The room was filled with the sounds of laughter and the soft impacts of pillows as they swung at each other, the playful energy of their earlier teasing now taking a physical form. Adam, being slightly taller, had the reach advantage, but Jordan was quicker, ducking and weaving to avoid Adam’s swings while landing a few of his own. They moved in sync, each testing the other, yet always with that underlying current of mutual respect and care.
“You’re gonna regret this!” Adam called out, his voice half-muffled by a pillow as Jordan managed to land a particularly good hit.
“Bring it on!” Jordan shot back, his eyes gleaming with mischief as he swung another pillow, catching Adam off balance.
Adam stumbled on the bed, laughing as he tried to regain his hold. But Jordan was relentless, pinning him down with one knee as he continued to batter him with soft, fluffy blows. Adam squirmed, trying to escape, but Jordan had the upper hand.
Finally, Jordan paused, holding the pillow above Adam’s head with a triumphant grin. Adam looked up at him, feigning defeat. “Alright, alright, you win,” he said, breathless but grinning.
Pillows dropped down, they settled in comfortable silence. Adam's hands rested gently on Jordan's thighs while Jordan had made himself comfortable on his hips. They gazed at each other for some time, breaths slowly calming down. For a moment, the air between them changed, the playfulness giving way to something soft.
“Your will, to stare. You’re there, on the other side,” Adam chanted in a gentle tone.
“Your will,” Jordan leaned forward, reaching out with one hand, brushing a wild strand of hair out of Adam’s face and tucking it behind his ear, “Our destiny.”
Adam’s heart skipped a beat at the gesture, simple yet loaded with meaning. “Oh, is this your new tactic now?” he asked softly, his voice barely more than a whisper.
Jordan’s smile was almost shy as he met Adam’s gaze, his thumb tracing lightly along Adam’s cheek. “Maybe,” he replied, his tone playful yet sincere. “Is it working?”
Adam let out a low hum, tilting his head slightly into Jordan’s touch. “You might be onto something,” he conceded, his eyes fluttering closed for a brief moment, savoring the contact.
Jordan’s heart swelled with affection as he looked down at Adam, the teasing and the banter now a distant memory. All that remained was the quiet understanding that had always existed between them, a bond forged in music, laughter, and the rare, precious moments like this one.
Jordan rolled off to lie beside Adam, who stretched out as well, letting out a contented sigh. His blond disheveled hair contrasted sharply with the dark sheets, their bodies still close. “And I guess I’ll forgive you for being such a tease,” Jordan said, his hand finding Adam’s and intertwining their fingers.
They lay there in comfortable silence, the night’s earlier tension completely dissolved. Outside, the city hummed softly, but inside the darkened room, all was still. As the minutes passed, sleep began to creep in, the exhaustion of the performance finally taking its toll.
Just as Jordan was about to drift off, he felt Adam’s thumb gently stroke the back of his hand. “For the record,” Adam’s voice broke the silence, quiet and sincere, “I wouldn’t change a single note you play, even if it’s wrong.”
Jordan’s chest tightened at the words, and he turned his head slightly to look at Adam, who was already gazing back at him with an intensity that took his breath away. “Oh, Adam” Jordan breathed out, his voice barely above a whisper. He pulled Adam into his arms, who smiled shyly, his expression soft, a warm smile spreading across Jordan’s face in return.
And with that, they both let the weight of the night’s events fade away, content to simply be in each other’s presence as they drifted off to sleep, their hands still entwined between them, a silent promise of the bond they shared.