Chapter Text
Roier stood on the familiar stage, the weight of the microphone in his hand a comforting anchor. A gentle tap on the surface assured him that it was in working order.
The band members, scattered around the room, exchanged nods of varying certainty before returning their focus to the instruments cradled in their hands.
"Okay, shall we do one more full playthrough and then go take a break?" Roier suggested, shoulders lifting in a nonchalant shrug. Jaiden, now freed from the embrace of her synth, stretched wearily in her place.
"Definitely. I am literally starving. We should get something to eat."
Roier, with a nod, shifted his attention to Pac, who had his metal prosthetic leg curled up to fit the small drum seat.
"Pac, care to start us off?" Roier smiled while mimicking drum motions. Pac chuckled in response, counted to four, and initiated a fairly simple drum beat for the band to build upon.
Jaiden blended her harmonic synth melodies, and Cellbit followed with his technical guitar solos. Roier, with a deep breath, let his voice cut through.
"Sunday, ceiling, spinning, like it won't stop," he started, inwardly cringing at the initial sound of his own voice. Despite two years together, Roier still disliked his singing at the start of a song. However, he knew he usually warmed up to it.
"Tangerine, we go so good together, a lot can happen between now and never," he continued, Cellbit playing smooth, well-rehearsed chord picking patterns to perfectly complement Roier's voice.
The drums maintained a grounding pulse, keeping everyone in time and alert to tempo changes. Roier silently thanked the heavens for having such a talented drummer.
Jaiden's electric synth brought the piece together, infusing the melody and chorus with an electric, danceable feel without overpowering the rest of the song.
Towards the end of the performance, the door to the band room inched open, revealing a man with short brown hair, badly-applied eyeliner, and a Caprisun in one hand. He shot a dazzling smile at Roier before quietly making his way to the few chairs in the corner, collapsing with a sigh. A long, loud slurp echoed through the room as he indulged in the drink.
As the song concluded, Roier sighed in relaxation before joining the man in the chairs.
"Jaiden, I totally agree with you. I think I'll actually die if I don't have a pizza right now. Also, Charlie, is that not your seventh Caprisun today?" Roier asked incredulously. Charlie pretended to ponder before responding.
"Uh, yeah. Being a producer is hard work, you know. I really need to pee as well, but I can't let the Caprisuns win."
Jaiden, back against the wall, snorted in amusement. The room buzzed with the post-performance energy that the group always felt following a good run through.
"Okay," Cellbit announced, hanging his beaten-up guitar on the wall. "If we aren't out the building and halfway up the road to the pizza shop in ten seconds, I will disintegrate."
He then tied his laces in a few quick movements, opened the door, and briskly walked out, leaving it open for the rest of the band - and Charlie - to quickly follow him, catching up in a few seconds.
As they strolled toward the pizza place, Roier found himself walking beside Cellbit, subtly taking the lead ahead of the others. The weight of the guitarist's gaze bore down on him, and for some reason it felt strangely... intense. Roier's neck warmed as he met Cellbit's stare, something lingering in the air.
Roier had grown accustomed to sensing Cellbit's eyes on him, a magnetic pull that he didn't want to admit that he enjoyed. Yet, he maintained a tight leash on his private thoughts, careful not to let them translate into his actions.
"Hey, Cellbo. Did you dye your hair? It looks cool as fuck," Roier observed, playfully batting Cellbit's arm. In response, Cellbit fluffed his (recently dyed) hair and smiled, revealing a mouth of sharp teeth. It was kind of cute.
"Yeah, last week. My parents hate it, but I love it."
Amid their conversation, faint giggles emanated from behind, interrupting Roier's focus. He turned his head to catch Jaiden and Charlie snickering about something.
"What's your problem?" he asked, suppressing a chuckle as their laughter became infectious. Jaiden glanced at Charlie, some agreement passing through her eyes, before fixing a smirk on the singer.
"Looks like you got yourself a new boyfriend, Roier."
A sudden flush of embarrassment painted Roier's face as he glanced awkwardly between Cellbit and his best friend, who never missed a chance to embarrass him. Choosing to go along with it seemed the easiest escape.
"Hah, yeah, he's in love with me, aren't you, gatinho?" Roier teased, prompting Cellbit to blush and look away. Unconsciously, the two men shuffled closer.
"Okay, Roier. You were the one complimenting my hair," Cellbit mumbled, maintaining composure ever so well while a subtle smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Something shifted within the singer.
As the pizza place came into view, Roier almost heard his stomach growling in excitement at the meal that awaited him.
The band practiced almost every week, and without fail, someone in the group convinced the others to go and grab a margherita pizza from the cheap restaurant only a short 5-minute walk down the street from the music room that they rented out.
The bell at the door tinkled quietly as they walked in, some old jazz artist playing on the staticky radio on the counter. There were rarely any people in the restaurant, especially on a Wednesday afternoon. Consequently, the band usually got their pick of whatever table they fancied.
Today, they sat down at a table near the counter with a low, exposed light bulb hanging in the middle of the table. House plants littered the windowsills, and the orange-tinted glass panes gave the place a comforting aura.
A muscly man with a chef's hat covering his bald head welcomed the group with a friendly smile, making clear and confident eye contact. Pac excitedly skipped up to the countertop, grinning.
"Hi, Mr. Fit! How are you?" he exclaimed, mood suddenly changing at the sight of the chef.
"Not bad myself, Pac. How are you? You guys are later than usual today - had me thinking that you weren't coming. It's almost 5."
Pac's smile morphed into an apologetic grimace as he glanced back to the rest of the band."Yeah, Roier and Cellbit were too busy flirting to be on time."
As if in sync, the two men in question rolled their eyes, looking at each other with amusement in their expressions.
Jaiden, clearly cooking up another stupid response, opened her mouth.
"Pac, my dude. You are the one who is flirting. Calm yourself."
Jaiden, Roier, Cellbit, and Charlie exploded into laughter at the sight of a shell-shocked Pac and an extremely flustered Fit becoming speechless at Jaiden's comment.
"Okay, okay," Roier gasped. "Let's order now."
After minimal arguing, the group reclined back in their seats while Pac continued to flirt with the man preparing the pizzas. After a few minutes, the band overheard him being invited into the kitchen to keep their conversation going while Fit cooked the food.
"Talk about boyfriends, huh. Pac looks absolutely smitten for the chef of this place," Charlie noted, glancing over at the counter.
Jaiden nodded seriously. "Honestly, I hope it works out for him." She took a piece of her hair and started to fiddle with it. "It's just sad at this point; he's been in love with Fit since they met."
In the background, they could hear the faint sound of Pac's laughter from the back of the kitchen.
"You guys in any painful situationships, or is it just Pac?" Roier joked, initiating quiet laughter from the group. Charlie beamed an arrogant grin.
"I mean, I obviously have my bitch wife, which is painful, but otherwise, nope." Charlie had always prided himself on his ability to stay in a relationship, being eight years deep into one at 24. He never admitted it, but the band knew that Mariana was absolutely in love with him.
"I'm always in a painful situationship," Jaiden admitted dramatically. "You guys know me." Roier snorted at the irony of the statement.
"Obviously. Jaiden: the one who is always in a romantic relationship and is not aromantic at all." The tinkle of the bell on the countertop sounded, and Pac appeared with a freshly baked pizza resting on his left arm.
His arrival with the food was greatly welcomed as Roier's taste buds ached at the delicious smell of the cheese and sauce. Pac placed the hot pizza down onto the hard wooden table, and Cellbit tried to dampen his gasp at the sight of it.
"This is the shit that I asked for. God, I'm going to start drooling like a dog," the guitarist groaned between stifled laughing, and Roier attempted to distract his mind from the images that followed the statement.
Amidst the shared indulgence in pizza, a comforting hush descended upon the room, and the only sound heard was that of chewing. The air buzzed with a quiet symphony of gratitude and satisfaction.
As the last traces of pizza vanished from the table, a collective sense of satiety settled in, casting a serene exhaustion over the group. In the midst of this contented silence, Cellbit, having wiped his hands on his shirt, broke the quiet.
"Hey, guys," he began. "I just wanted to say that I really love you all. I didn't know you that well before the band, and I admit I was kind of awkward at first, but... I've come to consider you all my best friends."
Roier, conveniently seated beside Cellbit, responded with a delicate touch on his arm. His eyes flicked down to Cellbit's lips, wondering for a moment what they would taste like.
(What? Who said that?)
"We always wanted you here, Cellbit," Roier conveyed, his voice carrying a depth of emotion. "Thank you for being here with us."
The room, still bathed in the soft glow of the hanging bulb, bore witness to a moment of genuine connection and appreciation among the band. The air, once filled with the scent of pizza, now held the lingering warmth of their happiness.